WADA threatens to expel Jamaica on doping issue

Montreal, Aug 23 (IANS/CMC) The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has threatened to expel Jamaica from the next Olympics and other major competitions if it refuses to address shortcomings highlighted by a senior ex-employee.

WADA director general David Howman Wednesday night urged the Portia Simpson Miller government to investigate claims by the former executive director of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) that its drugs-testing programme was inadequate, reports CMC.

"Our normal approach if we have issues falling into the category of either complaint or concern is to try to work with the particular signatory -- in this case the NADA (national anti-doping agency) -- and remedy it," Howman said.

"If nothing happens, we can ask our board to declare any of the signatories non-compliant and that has implications as to whether teams from the country would be admitted to various events."

Renee Anne Shirley had accused Jamaica's politicians and administrators of ignoring her warnings that the positive tests returned by Asafa Powell and four other athletes were a "disaster" waiting to happen, saying: "They believe Jamaica does not have a problem."

Howman warned that if the country refused to take its responsibilities seriously, WADA could deem JADCO non-compliant with the WADA code, which could have dire consequences for the country's elite athletes, including world record-breaking sprinter Usain Bolt.

"We report the non-compliance to people who can then consider whether other sanctions ought to follow," said Howman.

"That would be the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and so on."

--IANS/CMC

vs/ros/rd