Gov’t could help fund anti-doping thrust
THERE is a call for government funding for Jamaican athletes in an effort to protect the integrity of track and field without sacrificing the interest of the runners.
This was revealed by Jamaica’s attorney general Ransord Braham, who was guest speaker at the launch of the second University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Anti-Doping in Sports Conference set for November 26.
“There is the question of facilitating funding for our athletes to be able to mount defences, particularly where cases are deeply nuanced,” the recently-appointed Braham said at the Wyndham Hotel yesterday.
“Should we insist that funding provisions be made for our athletes to be able to mount challenges or appeal adverse test findings, particularly where cases are deeply nuanced, having regard to the fact that costs can be so prohibitive as to discourage some athletes from even considering pursuing an aggressive defence efforts to clear their names?” he asked.
Braham, a former Kingston College student who was nominated to the post in July, said this throws into focus the need for stakeholders to position Jamaica’s interest more aggressively in the multi-lateral rules development phase.
“We have to ensure that our interests and concerns are represented such that we have a more assertive impact in the collective rule-making process.
“This is the linchpin for the shaping of anti-doping efforts to effectively protect the integrity of the process whilst balancing the need to give due consideration to the rights of our athletes,” he pointed out.
The Anti-Doping in Sports Conference, which is schedule to run between 8:30 and 3:00 pm at the Faculty of Law main lecture theatre, will have at least 10 speakers from Jamaica and overseas.
The overseas speaker will be Professor Asker Jeukendrup, director of Gatorade Sports Science Institute; Dr Caroline Hatton, sports anti-doping science consultant, IOC/WADA London Lab, and Alicia Kendig, sports dietitian, Athlete Performance Lab and co-ordinator, United States Olympic Committee.
Local experts include Dr Akshai Mansingh, director, Division of Sports Medicine, UWI; Dr Kent Gammon, chairman of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Disciplinary Committee; Dr Paul Wright, Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission; Dr Aggrey Irons, sports psychologist and president, Medical Association of Jamaica; Dr Stan Warren, social and sports psychologist, Mico University College; Dalton Myers, director of sports, UWI; Dr Joy Callender, nutritional specialist; Dr Warren Blake, chairman, Medical Committee, JAAA Doping Regulations, and Rosalee Chingara, toxicoligist, UWI.
The aim of the conference is to educate Jamaican athletes on how to protect themselves, having done so well and being under the global microscope.
With that in mind, UWI has introduced sports medicine programmes in the past six years aimed at producing local experts to assist athletes.
According to Mansingh, UWI — apart from housing a club which has some of the fastest men and women in the world — has been giving support to sports in general.
“It’s unfortunate that once somebody excels in track and field, the first thought… is, is it straight or not? We are here to make sure it is,” said Mansingh.
Irving said the seminar is for persons involved in sports in anti-doping discourses that will empower the making of ethical decisions.
“We have come too far to merely participate as a nation and not understand what we need to do to prevent addiction, arbitration and adjudication,” said Irving.