WADA and the United Kingdom Anti-Doping Agency announced recently the world’s first positive test for the banned substance Human Growth Hormone (HGH).

Previously, detecting this performance enhancer was nigh impossible because of the rapid rate of excretion from the user’s body. That fact, has emboldened athletes in several different sporting disciplines to, “take-a-chance,” and use the substance with a fairly high degree of success where being found out is concerned.

Experts in the drug testing field have long had their suspicion regarding the performance and physical appearance of certain athletes.

Positive for HGH

This report of a confirmed positive for HGH will definitely level the playing field as those athletes using HGH will now know that THE GAME IS UP.

Therefore, look forward to a spate of “injuries” and no-shows from athletes previously thought to be doing well in their preparation for this year’s Diamond League and other world and continental championships.

Terry Newton the first person to test positive for HGH, is a professional rugby player with the Whitfield Trinity Wildcats in Britain. At the time of writing they are second in the League.

The out-of-competition test was done on November 24 last year, as a result of “intelligence” and target testing of the UK Anti-doping Agency. The result was communicated to Newton on February 17.

Banned

Newton accepted the results and was promptly banned for two years. His club immediately cancelled his contract.

In Jamaica the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) has been doing out of competition drug testing, on a variety of sports, in an ongoing effort to ensure that the sportsmen and women of Jamaica continue to be drug free.

However, I am not aware of drug testing being done in competition for local football. The Minister of Sports, the Honorable Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange has given Ministerial blessing to the programme and JADCO itself, has had meetings with relevant football groups sensitising all the participants about the banned substances and the consequences of intentional or unintentional use.

The only question is when? When will drug testing in local football restart?

Speaking of drug testing, what is happening to Miss Brooks, the Jamaican athlete whose positive test during the Jamaica Trials for the Berlin World Championships, was nixed from the records by a hearing and appeal here in Jamaica?

Restarting career

As I understand it Miss Brooks has been having problems restarting her career. Has the JAAA intervened on her behalf? And if so, what is the position regarding her future?

It makes absolutely no sense for this and other news regarding Jamaican athletes to be the purview of a favoured few and not the nation as a whole. We-the-people have a lot at stake in the fortunes and misfortunes of our “stars”.

During the “Berlin Mix-up” we were told by the team manager that once he gets home, we could expect a full and detailed report of the behavior of some wayward athletes. We know that this report was presented to the JAAA and their review committee found nothing in it to punish anyone!

Is that it? Can we-the-people see this report and digest what was said? Or is this going to be another case where “Oops” is accepted and those who erred being given a bly?

Expulsion

This report must be made public as it was we (Jamaica) who were embarrassed by the near expulsion of our fellow country men and women. The witch hunt now on to find out who leaked the Armadale report to the press is occurring as a direct result of “officialdom” getting away with ordering investigations and reports when public pressure demands it, but insisting on secrecy when blame has been apportioned to those favored by the ordering officials themselves.

The report of the management team to Berlin must be available for public scrutiny. Decency and transparency demands it.

Windies wallopping

Finally, our beloved West Indian cricket team has returned home from a walloping by Australia in ALL forms of the game. This, despite our captain promising a 4-1 walloping of Australia in the 50-over format.

Unlike our regional captain Tamar Lambert, Chris Gayle did not perform in this series. He did not lead from in front. With Zimbabwe here for some One-Day and T20 games, we now hear that captain Gayle is to be rested from bowling a maximum of four overs in a game and from batting for a probable 20 overs.

Poor captain. Boo hoo hoo.

How much longer Lord, How much longer?