Jamaican PM assures WADA of making drug testing of athletes 'top priority'

The Jamaican prime minister has reportedly promised the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to make the drug-testing of the country's sports stars a top priority.

The pledge comes in the wake of five Jamaican athletes testing positive for banned substances this summer, including the former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell.

According to the Guardian, WADA issued a warning to Jamaican last month that they needed to address claims by a former leading official of its anti-doping commission, that there had been numerous 'troubling' problems and a lack of adequate testing.

However, WADA director general David Howman said that although the body would visit the Caribbean country and maintain checks, he added that Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller has assured them of showing a commitment to deal with the issue.

Howman also said that that there are no current issues with Jamaica.

Simpson-Miller is a former minister of sport in Jamaica and has retained the sport portfolio as well as being prime minister, the report added.