Drug misuse keeps haunting Lankan sports

Upon the withdrawal of 400metres athlete Pradeep Kumara who was brought back home from the 22nd Asian Athletic meet in India last week due to failing a drug test, the Lankan athletic sources are abuzz with the discovery of the iceberg.

According to a very senior Sri Lankan athletic official they have stumbled upon evidence to say that there are more than a dozen more such cases and the list of names are in their possession.

“While we were questioning Kumara we began to probe into the issue and what we have stumbled is quite starling. In athletics alone we have got the names of at least a dozen of others who are into performance enhancing substances and sometimes the count may be bigger”.

The source said that this problem is a direct result of the unrestricted availability of these performance enhancing substances in the market and they are freely available through most of the gym institutions that have sprung up especially in the hubs.

The source further added “We are also in the know how about a certain athlete who is involving in promoting these banned substances. He not only sells the substance, but, also sells the masking agents so that the culprits could not be detected”.

However it is not clear whether Sri Lanka has enough laws pertaining to curb the sale of such substances or prosecute such person who are peddling these substances.

Performance enhancing substances and Lankan sports are no strangers. From the time that Lankan sprinter Susanthika Jayasingha was involved in a controversy about the usage of Nandrolone. Lankan

ACCOUNTS PROBE

Accountants are busy these days trying to find out how much money had been spent on security for recent tours of a very popular sport. The game at Dambulla had 1200 security personnel while the game at another venue had only 600 security personnel. The Dambulla game had few spectators yet the amount of security personnel had far exceeded the other venue. All these security arrangements are being probed now because accounts have to be settled for the security arrangements.

PLANTAINS TO THE FORE

The women’s team for a much awaited competition took wing last week, but before the team left there arose an argument that the plantains athletes and the officialdom are familiar with issue.

Earlier in an encounter with Dr. Seevali Jayawickreme, Consultant Physician Sports and Exercise Medicine explained the harmful effects of these substances -- “Nandroline (Decadurobolin) is an anabolic steroid which is used to resuscitate a cancer patient who is very bad or badly anaemic. Nandrolone allows you to work more and more and burn your body fat so that you can build up your muscle. That is what is needed for a person who sprints. Short burst sprinters, weight lifters have been using these type of drugs.

“The bad effects of Nandroline are: it virtually destroys your whole body. For males you will lose your hair, you will develop pimples, will develop breasts and ultimately end up becoming impotent. It also can affect the heart and liver of both sexes.

“For women, it works the opposite way. She will develop hair on her body; it changes the tone of her voice to that of a male and some other psychological and physical changes too”. This is what will happen in prolonged use of this substance.” being served to the team after meals are very small. When there are so many problems regarding a tour of this nature, the size of the plantains, seemed to pose a big problem. Let’s wait and see how the team fares!

VIRUS THREAT

It appears that two players of a popular sport were suffering from a mild virus fever yet they were allowed to play against the touring team which they won in the South. Now the question arises why this was not disclosed to the media?

NOT ENOUGH FUNDS

The new body of a popular sport took charge after a lot of haggling but now it has been disclosed that there are not enough funds in the kitty to even to pay for the salaries of some employees. This body is now waiting some funds from abroad. If by chance this is not received they will be in very hot water to settle immediate debts.

MUSCLE FRAUD

The boss of a set of bodybuilders is in hot water as he had taken some certificates in order to scrutinise them and has not returned them to date. Now the musclemen are contemplating court action, claiming that this is a big fraud.

LEFT OUT

Fifteen clubs have been left out for various reasons from forthcoming competitions from a popu-

Talking of Prednisolone, (a substance that was detected in a urine sample provided by Sri Lanka cricketer Upul Tharanga), Dr. Jayawickreme said” “Prednisolone is also a steroid. It is used for asthma and joint ailments. It is harmful to those with high blood sugar. If Prednisolone is used we may give it as a puff or an injection, but, to an athlete this drug is not given in tablet form. Long term use of this substance also could lead to similar negative physical effects as above. Besides, it could also contribute to a rise in blood sugar levels.”

Another substance that is commonly used in Sri Lanka is ventolin. If a sportsman or woman is an asthmatic, he or she has to do a lung function test and prove that he or she is in need of the medicine. There is a thing called therapeutic usage exemption.”

Since of late Sri Lanka has established the Sri Lanka Anti Doping Agency. But, that has not vented the drug abuse of the athletes and other sports men and women. Just prior to Pradeep, 100m runner Himasha Eshan and 400m athlete Premila Piyadasa went through the sleuths, but, with latest revelation it does not seem to be

abating. lar rural sport. At the same time 30 new clubs have been included for future contests. This has been done to give the new clubs a chance of winning leaving out the experienced clubs.

THE BANANA MAN

At the last com meeting of the odd shaped ball the man from the hills with a name like the imported Banana poked questions about the Pigeons who played for Lanka. Peeved on being told that the fine is 25K each for two the Banana man poked the Big Gun saying you are the one who told this pow-wow that the grandfather was born in Puttalam. He said that he will have to answer as the investigating ones are on the ball and that the sporting one must be told as the Fast Fort and BC issues are criminal in nature.