ISC sound warning by expanding anti-doping plan

THE Irish Sports Council is continuing to expand it’s anti-doping programme and, while the number of positive tests recorded last year were down in line with international statistics, sports bodies were advised yesterday to be vigilant.

ISC members were briefed on the anti-doping measures as well as the likely performance of athletes at next year’s Olympic Games at a meeting in the Waterford Institute of Technology. Last year 841 tests were carried out under the anti-doping programme. There were six positive findings compared to 12 in 2000 and four in 2001. Out of competition testing continued to grow and alcohol testing was introduced for motor sports.

ISC chief executive John Treacy said the anti-doping programme was going very well and said the organisation was very happy with the support and co-operation which it was getting from National Governing Bodies.

“Every sporting body needs to be vigilant, particularly sports competing internationally,” he said. “Everyone has to play their part. We have ratified the world anti-doping code that was launched in Copenhagen in March and will be implementing that over the course of the year. This poses challenges but we welcome it, as it is harmonising everything that is happening around the world.”

Council members were also updated on high performance planning ahead of the Olympic Games and according to John Treacy, their concentration was on performances and finals.

“We need to be realistic about what our expectations should be. A lot of the work we are doing is laying the groundwork for 2008. We have provided strong support for 10 governing bodies leading into Athens, provided special backing such as performance managers, performance plans and extra support for athletics sports science and sports medicine. We are also carrying out acclimatisation research that will be filtered out to the bodies over the next couple of months.”

Also in Waterford, “Youth Sport in Ireland”, a publication by Dr Sean O’Connor, a lecturer in sports sociology at the city’s Institute of Technology, was presented to ISC chairman Pat O’Neill. The book, part-funded by the ISC, examines sports and lifestyle patterns among young people in Ireland.

Mr. O’Neill said the ISC was committed to helping secure the “quantum leap” that he said is needed in participation rates in sport among young people. He also promised an increased focus on research with the ESRI to be commissioned to examine participation rates as well as the motivating factors that can help retain young people’s interest in sport.