Top medic questions player blood tests

THE chairman of the GAA’s Medical, Scientific and Welfare Committee has cast doubts as to whether inter-county footballers and hurlers will be subjected to blood testing.

The anti-doping procedure was undertaken for the first time in Ireland at an athletics meet in December 2009.

Irish Sports Council (ISC) officials are keen to expand its use across the sporting codes but have no immediate plans to introduce it to the GAA. The organisation’s players are subjected to urine-based anti-doping procedures since the GAA gave its consent — 10 years ago next month — as a prerequisite for their continued receipt of government funds.

Kerry’s Aidan O’Mahony was found innocent of any offence after he registered a positive test following the 2008 All-Ireland final defeat to Tyrone and that remains the one instance when a GAA player returned anything but a negative result. Last year, 92 inter-county players were called aside to provide a sample and committee chairman Dr Danny Mulvihill believes such a pristine record is just one reason why there is no need to introduce blood testing.

“It will be difficult in the GAA with the amateur status,” he said yesterday. “It is quite invasive and I can see difficulties with it. As it stands, it is not necessary on the basis of the figures and returns for the ordinary testing.”

There was considerable resistance to the anti-doping measures when they were first introduced at the start of the millennium and some issues remain. One Kerry player was kept waiting past midnight before producing a sample after training last March. Yet Dr Mulvihill, team doctor with the Kildare footballers for two decades, believes players have adapted to the situation and are well-briefed by medics and the ISC. “My squad are all very conscious of it. It is satisfying to know we’re doing everything we can.”

Mulvihill was speaking at a launch to raise awareness of blood infections in sport but the next priority for the Medical, Scientific and Welfare Committee is the increase of cruciate ligament injuries in GAA. He revealed: “We would hope to have something later on in the year with medical experts on it. We are addressing the biomechanics of the knee, the footwear, surfaces and so on.”

The committee will also look to reintroduce a motion on gumshields to next year’s annual congress.