Jamaica government cuts JADCO's budget by $14 million

The Jamaica government has cut funding to the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) by $14 million, the country's sports minister Natalie Neita-Headley said.

However, Neita-Headley does not anticipate a recurrence of the local doping scandal which rocked athletics because of the strides the country has made in improving its anti-doping programme, reports CMC.

World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) president Craig Reedie had recently applauded the progress made by Jamaica to improve its drug testing programme during a short visit to the island.

The allocation to JADCO is being reduced from $104 million to $90 million.

"We don't anticipate the number of cases we experienced over the last year. I believe we have spent a great deal on educating our athletes, introducing a new website that provides additional information. Our athletes are more aware as a result of the Anti-Doping Commission embarking on a programme of work that made it far more efficient," Neita-Headley said.

Jamaica has been attempting to repair its programme since a number of its athletes including former world record holder Asafa Powell and Olympic gold medallist Sherone Simpson tested positive for banned substances.

Neita-Headley said that despite the budget cut, JADCO will still be able to carry out its work programme which includes the introduction of blood testing.

"We are to embark, in this year, on the EPO blood-testing programme and it will not affect their programme of work. There is expected to be a reduction in a number of areas that were heightened last year, one of which was the hiring of a consultant to assist with the new Anti-Doping in Sports Act," Neita-Headley said.

"We have additional drug-testing personnel, we have additional personnel in the area of education and communication, and we have embarked on the junior educational programme, and we have introduced a new website."