Laws being drafted to punish those influencing athletes to take drugs- Anti Doping Committee

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Category: Anti Doping

Published on Sunday, 20 November 2011 12:38

Written by Reemus Fernando

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Extracted from The Island

The Anti Doping Committee of the Sports Medical Unit told reporters that laws are being drafted to punish those who misguide athletes to take prohibited performance enhancing drugs.

Some of the Committee members including its head Dr. Maiya Gunasekera, lawyer Panduka Keerthinanda, senior DIG Asoka Wijethilaka and Professor Arjuna de Silva, head of the Sports Medical Unit, addressed the media yesterday as they officially announced the bans imposed on nine sportsmen who were found positive for taking prohibited substances during recent tests.

Answering queries, de Silva and Gunasekera told reporters that lows are being drafted to punish those who misguide athletes to take prohibited drugs. Why coaches and sports administrators, who sometimes influence athletes to take prohibited substances, are not punished has been a question that has been raised. The committee members said that the coaches and those officials who misguide athletes will be punished under the new laws which are likely to be presented to parliament after obtaining necessary approvals shortly

Professor Arjuna de Silva told reporters that his unit is planning to issue certificates to sportsmen after tests on nutritional assessment, fitness and doping to make them comply with anti doping regulations. It will be made compulsory for sportsmen to obtain the certificate before competing at top level.

In a move to help sportsmen identify nutritional supplements which do not contain WADA banned substances, the medical unit is also going to seek the help of Sri Lanka Consumer Protection Authority to obtain the approval of the sports ministry for such products.

Ransilu receives the longest ban

Of the eight sportsmen who were banned from competitions, weightlifter Ransilu Jayathilaka received the longest ban. He was banned for two years while others received bans varying from three months to one year.

Four bodybuilders namely, Dharshana Fernando, Udara Mendis, Chanaka Priyadharshana and Lasantha Fonseka were each slapped with six months bans while Anuruddha Kumara who was reported to have skipped the inquiry of the Anti Doping Committee was banned for one year. They were found positive for banned substances at a random test conducted before the South Asian Beach Games.

While cyclist Suwaris Premachandra was handed a one year ban, Champika Dilrukshi, the former Sri Lanka record holder of the women’s 1,500 metres, received a ban for three months.

Meanwhile, athlete Anusha Lamahewa has been cleared by the Anti Doping Committee. De Silva said that the properly maintained medical records by the athlete and her coach and the subsequent laboratory confirmations were indicative that the prohibited substances found in her samples were a result of taking drugs to delay her menstrual cycle.

Meanwhile, in reply to a query by The Island, de Silva said that his unit will not mediate for weightlifter, Chinthana Vidanage to appeal against his four year ban, which effectively diminishes his chances of taking part in either the Olympic Games or Commonwealth Games. Vidanage was banned for four years by the International Weightlifting Federation after he was found positive for taking a prohibited stimulant, methylhexaneamine, after a drug test conducted at the last Asian Weightlifting Championships in China, where the Commonwealth Games double medalist was placed fourth.

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