Banned substances in sports – should the blame be shared?
New legislation has slapped harsher punishments on athletes found guilty of using banned substances, in an attempt to steer them away from such practices. However, should all the blame be shoveled on sportsmen and women who transgress or should backstage officials such as coaches, trainers and doctors, share just as much of it, if not more`?
 I think the coaches and other people in charge of sportsmen and women need to bear a lot of the responsibility if a players get caught cheating. Players are simply taking instructions from these people. So if something happens I think coaches have to be responsible. Although athletes sometimes take substances by themselves, in most cases they are given these substances by coaches and trainers. - Ananda Athukorale (Athletics coach) |
 Coaches, doctors and trainers look after every aspect of an athlete. So they should be held accountable if an athlete is caught for taking banned substances. Even if an athlete takes something alone without discussing it with his training team, they should be able to spot the changes in his performance and sometimes his appearances. - Dr. Lal Ekanayake (Sports medicine doctor) |
 For me both coaches and athletes should share the blame because they both know what they are doing is not correct. - T. Fernando (Parent) |
 It is the sportsmen who are responsible. They are professionals and should know everything they take. Even if a coach or anyone else gives them something, it is their duty to find out if it contains any banned substances. - Jagath Gunathilake (National athlete). |
 When athletes are young then the blame rests with their coaches because they are responsible for guiding a sportsman. But when we are talking about adult professional athletes, they should know what they are taking, so in that case the blame should be shared even if a sportsman does not know he is taking something banned. - Madhubashini Wijeratne (Sports teacher) |
 The athlete should be responsible. It’s his or her mistake. You have a responsibility for what you take whether it is nutrition or medicine. Most of the time it is the athletes who take these medicines. Sometimes though when WADA changes the list, doctors from far off areas are not aware of all the drugs on it and they can’t suitably inform athletes. - Manjula Kumara (Sri Lankan athlete) |
 WADA has now spoken about the self liability of an athlete so they cannot say they do not know how they tested positive or claim they are unaware of the banned substances in their body. WADA publishes a list of banned substances which athletes should be made familiar with. I think this knowledge should enter into the school curriculum so athletes are taught it from an early age. - Dr. Seevali Jayawickreme (Consultant Physician Sports Medicine) |
|