Drug testing for local athletes

All athletes in this country’s contingent to the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia later this March will be subjected to a comprehensive medical examination, including drug testing. {{more}}

Assistant Chief of Mission to the Games, Wayne Williams disclosed this.

He said that Team Doctor Perry De Freitas is doing the mandatory examinations.

According to Williams that is to ensure that the country is not embarrassed, or have persons taken along who are “unfit and injured”.

In the past, reports have surfaced that many teams to these prestigious events often take persons who are known to be injured.

In addition, this country was thrown into national shame last year when top US-based athlete Natasha Mayers received a two- year ban for an unacceptable level of testosterone in her system.

The revelation by Williams comes on the heels of the pleas made by Feature Speaker at this country’s National Sports Awards Ceremony, Barbadian Dr. Adrian Lorde.

A member of the World Anti- Doping Agency (WADA), Lorde urged Caribbean countries like St. Vincent and the Grenadines “to put our houses in order”.

He also said at that forum that the debate is on within WADA as to whether or not marijuana should be placed on the banned list of substances.

This country last week signed on to the Regional Anti- Doping Organisation (RADO), an arm of the international WADA. Thelma Foster and Rudi Daniel have been assigned as Doping Control Officers (DCO’s).

Twenty-one athletes in five sporting disciplines will represent this country.

Netball accounts for 12, Athletics- four, Table Tennis- two, Squash – two and Cycling- one. The Games are set for March 15-26.