Prof De Silva discusses the Future of Anti Doping and Usage of Supplements
Anti doping is definitely an important area in sports around the world today. ThePapare.com caught up with Prof. Arjuna de Silva the head of the newly established Sri Lanka Anti Doping Agency that will look into matters regarding anti doping and also focus on awareness.
‘The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) was first established in 1999, while Sri Lanka established a more formalized structure for Anti Doping in 2004. Before this time period, the agencies that were present only focused on testing and there was no co-ordinated effort since a central body was absent.’ said Prof. Arjuna de Silva highlighting the beginning of the anti-doping drive.
According to Arjuna, until recently the agencies that were involved in anti-doping activities in Sri Lanka had no set standard or formal procedure and also consisted of a huge conflict of interest since there was always the case where you could treat an athlete and would also be involved in the testing process as well. Therefore anyone could dope and cover it up as well, and thus it was important to set up an independent unit, since the sports medicine unit was doing both the treatment and testing.
‘Apart from the athlete, it is also important to catch the ‘athlete entourage’ which is the people around the treatment. Taking national boxer Manju Wanniarachchi’s incident for example, the person who gave him the medicine was neither a doctor nor an apothecary, and thus it is difficult to regulate or prosecute since you can’t punish a quack by taking him off the medical service and so on. But with the new legislation in place it is possible to prosecute under the penal code which could lead to a maximum of two years in prison and a fine of one lakh. The athletes will be treated the same as before, unless an athlete is also involved in the trafficking process.’ he further added.
The Sri Lanka Anti Doping Agency(SLADA), which will be funded by the Sports Ministry will be a totally independent body consisting of a board of ten individuals. There will be four co-opted individuals, namely the Director General of Sports Medicince, Director General of Sports Development, Director General of Sports Science and the Secretaries Nominee, while the other six members are appointed by the Minister. These members are distinguished in both sports and law, thus providing a very strong structure to the establishment.
Prof. Arjuna elaborated that the main motive is prevention and not to catch people, and there is currently an islandwide programme running sponsored by WADA through UNESCO. WADA has sponsored Rs. 2 million in order to spread awareness in all the districts targeting athletes, coaches, school children, teachers and all interested parties about the usage of supplements etc.
SLADA hopes to conduct an advertising campaign that would help their cause and also include the principles of sports nutrition and anti doping in the school educational curriculum from Grade 7 for all those in the Health Stream.
Currently, there are already, 11 sports medicine units who will also help spread the message locally.
Discrimination of borderline substances are also a method of reducing anti doping, since there is a massive usage of supplements around the country. Leading schools spend a few millions from their budgets in order to provide these supplements to their players in various sports, and it has to be understood that there is always the possibility that not always what is on the tin is not what’s inside.
In the United States, the commonest cause for the increase in liver enzymes is the usage of supplements such as creatine etc. Normally, it is necessary for a human to have 2g protein per kilo gram of body weight, and if you can get that amount naturally, there is no benefit taking it in the powder form. It is only when the accessibility to this much protein is hard that taking supplements should be an option.
‘Usain Bolt has never taken a single supplement, and is considered to be one of the most successful athletes in the current sporting arena. SLADA is not saying not to be scientific, it is far better to meet a dietician and getting the job done, than resorting to artificial means.’ concluded Prof. Arjuna on his view on the usage of supplements and border line substances.
