KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has been ranked as “very compliant” by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).
Former Asian sprint king Tan Sri Dr M. Jegathesan, who is Olympic Council of Asia medical committee chairman, said Wada had labelled Malaysia likewise since its establishment in 1999.
“Malaysia has year-in year-out, for the past 16 years, been given the very-compliant rating by Wada and has enjoyed a good reputation in the international sports arena,” he said.
Dr Jegathesan, who is also Commonwealth Games Federation medical adviser, said various cases of Malaysian athletes failing drug tests over the years did not reflect the seriousness of national sports associations in undertaking and observing anti-doping measures.
He said many nations have had their athletes test positive for drug use, but what was important was how closely and stringently the country followed doping laws and regulations.
“It is important to understand how a country handles such a case and how its seeks to obtain justice for its doped athletes, rather than attempt to avoid getting caught,” he said after presenting a keynote address ‘Performance Enhancing Methods and Substances: Where do you draw the line?’ at the First Asean Sports Medicine Conference 2015.
Dr Jegathesan was referring to news reports today of last year’s Malaysia Games double gold medallist, weightlifter Mohd Azril Huzairi Ramli being provisionally suspended by the International Weightlifting Federation after his urine tested positive for D-methamphetamine.
An unnamed bodybuilder had also reportedly failed an out-of-competition doping test for taking supplements containing banned substances.
Dr Jegathesan said performance enhancing substances and methods were banned from sport for three reasons — to protect the clean athlete, to protect athletes’ health and to ensure no practice went against the true spirit of sports.
“The battle against sports doping began at the 1968 Mexico Olympics –—eight years after the death of a Danish cyclist at the 1960 Rome Olympics — but was given its global clout and dimension when Wada was established in 1999, leading to the prohibited list that is updated and validated annually without debate or controversy.
“Sports bodies have to be signatories and be compliant with the Wada code, while governments have to demonstrate their acceptance of the Unesco convention,” he said.
But is the war on doping being won?
Dr Jegathesan answered it evoked mixed responses as some felt that the war was constantly challenged by a series of crises concerning the confidence in the processes, credibility with the enforcers and cynicism in the performances.
“Wada is faced with skilled manipulation, masking, timing and substitution of the drugs, new drugs, anaerobic chambers (to artificially enhance haemoglobin), gene doping, incomplete tests, organised doping, cover ups and legal issues concerning athletes’ rights.
“There will be some voices calling for a halt to the war, citing high costs and perceived poor returns. Although there are gaps in the system, it cannot be denied that deterrence and education have brought in dividends.
“New frontiers like action against non-analytical violations and errant entourage, screening the athlete’s biological passport (haematological parameters and steroid profile), criminalisation of offenders, incentives for whistle-blowers and the paradigm of intelligent testing are expected to strengthened enforcement.
“Thus, the war must indeed continue and persist,” said Dr Jegathesan, adding that the price paid for being caught was very high as the culprits turn from heroes to zeroes, are disqualified, lose their medals, prize money and records, and end up with lifetime bans.
Doping made world sports headlines recently with Russia being suspended this month by Wada for covering up failed drug tests by its top athletes.
Dr Jegathesan said sports doping had become ever more serious now owing to the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors to cheat, as sports was bound by professionalisation, industrialisation and politicisation.
“Doping control allows sports to be fair and clean, prevents serious side effects and displays athletes as role models for the young.
“Drugs unfairly enhance performance, can damage health or cause death and are against the sporting spirit,” he said, citing world champion sprinters Florence Griffith-Joyner of the United States and Ben Johnsson of Canada as examples.
Dr Jegathesan said anti-doping programmes revolved around punishment, deterrence, information, education and counselling.
“Doping increases strength through male hormones and steroids; increases stamina through blood doping, EPO (erythropoietin) and analogues; stimulates with amphetamines; moves classes through diuretics; and masks via diuretics, epi-testosterone and diluters.