In August of 2018, the National Anti-Doping Organization - known as NADO - was suspended by RADO - the Regional Anti-Doping Organization.
Well, today, NADO was trying to get off that blacklist with an important two day training at their office at the Marion Jones Complex.
The certification training will re-vitalize NADO, restore their spot in the Regional Anti-Doping Organization and in the long run, equip NADO with skills and legal tools to handle their own sports doping cases. I found out more at the training this morning.
Aside from a serious traumatic injury, being tested positive for a banned substance is the worst outcome for an athlete.
There have been a number of historic doping scandals over the years including American cyclist Lance Armstrong, Canadian track star Ben Johnson, American sprinter Marion Jones, and just recently Belizean American heavyweight boxer Big Baby Miller to name a few.
And on the local sports scene, we have had cases involving cyclists Nissan Arana and Byron Pope who both received multi year suspensions. Now, when it comes to these doping cases it is not a straightforward process because Belize doesn't have an active, engaged or equipped anti-doping body - that was one of the reasons for Belize's August 2018 suspension from the Regional Anti-Doping Organization.
But NADO Director, Charlie Slusher says they are doing their part in inviting a representative from the US Anti-Doping Association to conduct a training and certification for attorneys who will form a special committee. The main objective is for Belize to have its suspension lifted and for Belize to be able to handle cases such as these in country.
Charlie Slusher, Director, National Anti-Doping Organization of Belize
"There were things that needed establish before the end of the year and one of those things that we had to have our own results management committee, but you cannot just do that with just picking people. They have to be trained and accredited. I think one of the big thing is that as anti-doping organization you need to be able to handle your own affairs. In the past really we were just a shell, so now we are moving towards that process to establish the anti-doping organization, so that we could deal with those matter much more quicker, because now you have your own panel here in Belize, they can deal with those results management instead of it being delegated to another while you have to wait, you have no control over when they will move and then you have the entire country asking what's happening - the cyclist cannot get their prize, because you got to wait until that process is finish. Now if we have our panels in place we can deal with it. We could probably deal with the decision on our own and far more timely."
Reporter
"Who are the participants? Who are we seeing in this training right now?"
Charlie Slusher
"This training is made up of all lawyers and it's great, because we have senior lawyers and we have young lawyers. These are the people that will sit on these cases whenever there is an anti-doping rule violation these are the people that takes control."
Jeff Cook, Senior Legal Director, USADA
"I was invited by Chalie as well as through WADA to conduct a training for the results management process of anti-doping rule violations. I am here to discuss this with mostly lawyers who are preparing to sit and hear cases and determine what sanctions an athlete should receive after testing positive for prohibited substance."
Reporter
"Training is only one aspect of it, but I assume that when it comes to anti-doping there is testing and there is equipment needed and I know an issue with Nissan Arana or another case where they had the test results, but it wasn't properly handled and it wasn't properly stored and there is just a whole pile of thing, so it should go beyond training."
Charlie Slusher
"Yes and like I mentioned a while ago we actually have a development plan that we worked on this entire year which when you talk about all those issues we never had trained and accredited DCOs - those are the people that actually does the test with the athlete. So now we have 11 trained and accredited drug control officers in Belize. We have WADA. WADA now sends someone in Belize and now we actually have people trained and accredited in all these aspects. In other words all those issues that happened in the past, we are surely correcting all of them now. The NADO has its own office, so samples can be stored right there."
This is the first time NADO is participating in a training like this. This is the 3rd in a series of World Anti- Doping Agency led trainings that NADO has participated in for this year. NADO should have a certified and functional committee by the end of the year. Slusher also said they will be embarking on an education campaign as well.
Email
Print