Athletes urged to learn anti-doping rules, know who is in your circle

LOCAL athletes were urged to keep people around them who have their best interest at heart, which will help them remain a clean athlete.

The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC)/TT Commonwealth Games Association held its first-ever Athlete’s Forum yesterday at the Hilton Hotel in Port of Spain.

Many senior and junior athletes attended the forum. Some of the senior athletes who participated in the workshop were TT track and field athlete Kyle Greaux; TT boxers Tianna Guy, Nigel Paul, and Aaron Prince; national women’s football captain Kimika Forbes; TT table tennis player Aleena Edwards; and TT swimmer Cherelle Thompson.

Attorney Dave Williams was the lead coordinator in the session called "Why anti-doping is important?" Williams, with support from TTOC president Diane Henderson and TTOC executive member Dr. Terry Ali, spoke about the value of knowing what you are putting in your body, by discussing the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Henderson told the athletes that the people around them may lead to their downfall. Giving an example, she said, “Take this ‘Chris’ that will help you. Your trust is that person has your interest at heart and...you quickly pop it. You don’t know what is in that, what is their intention. I am just saying from here on forward you have to be aware and take your interest into your own hands. That’s why he (Williams) is saying you are culpable as long as that it’s found in your own system.”

Henderson said athletes may have to make difficult decisions during their careers. “Know who you surrounding yourself with. Yes, you might have to change your coach, you might have to change somebody when you reach that stage...because if you don’t trust somebody who is there and that is supposed to be for you and you feel that they are not taking your best interest at heart then what you are going to do?”

She then asked, “Who are the people right there in our circle?”

Williams supported Henderson. He said, “You can’t use as your defense that, ‘It’s my coach who gave it to me.’ You took it, yes. It was found in your system, yes. You are liable. You and your coach.”

Dr. Ali said not only national athletes must follow the anti-doping rules. “All sport now, irrespective of the level is being tested. We could come in and test you at any level, so don’t feel because you playing a junior league or a minor league or something like that, that you cannot be tested and you can try out a substance.”

Williams, who is also an executive member of the TTOC, said the athletes count on administrators to inform them.

“One of our responsibilities at TTOC is to educate you on the importance of being drug-free... if we fail to put in place what WADA has indicated that we need to put in place, then the TTOC as an NOC can be banned from taking part in Olympic games. So as part of what WADA requires of us is to have programs like these, so we could produce evidence to WADA that yes, we are playing our part. We are playing our part, we are training our athletes, we are informing our athletes as to the negative effects that doping could have on them.”

Among the others who supported the forum as speakers were immediate TTOC past president Brian Lewis, TTOC safeguarding officer Maria Thomas, attorney and president of the TT Gymnastics Federation Christopher George, and former national women’s rugby player Kwanieze John.