World Anti-Doping Agency inspectors are not allowed in the US sports leagues

In the world of tense debate about doping in professional sports leagues in the United States. Grounds for thought on the subject gave the film-investigation done by journalists of TV channel "Al Jazeera". According to many experts, around professional sports in America are concentrated too much money to allow this area to international observers, including representatives of WADA.

 

If the World Anti-Doping Agency was a map of the world, then it would be at least four white spots the size of almost all of the United States. The largest US professional sports league - hockey, basketball, baseball, American football - and close do not admit to its players WADA inspectors, despite the best efforts of management of the agency to cooperate. Private League, and set their own rules.

 

"I sent the management of each professional sports league a letter with the words:" This is a great idea, think, will be happy to work with you. " And each I got about the same answer: "We have no problem with doping in our sport. We have the most stringent anti-doping rules, which you can only imagine. Please stop bothering us, "- says the head of WADA in 1999-2007. Dick Pound in a documentary film produced by EPIX «Doping: the dark side of sports" (2015).

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJRPxmTuxoI

 

 

Given that the lists of prohibited substances in WADA and, for example, the NHL in general are the same, but in theory only in international competitions agency experts have access to anti-doping tests of North American athletes.

 

However, in practice it is still difficult. Now the scandal around the World Hockey Cup, which will be held in autumn in Canada. Team Finland will be prepared in their training camp in Finland. And the Finnish anti-doping experts wanted to test players for the presence of prohibited substances. But the organizer of the tournament NHL forbade them to approach the team and the players were instructed to refuse such doping tests. Americans are extremely sensitive to any attempts of an independent doping control and diligently impose their rules of the game.

 

Demorays Smith, executive director of the trade union of football players, said: "If our players want to know what scientific basis is brought under the tests for growth hormone, I can not tell them that WADA said:" It's none of your business. " WADA essentially says: "Either you play by our rules, or do not play." For the players is not acceptable to assume that the only solution to the problem. Our lawyers flew to Montreal to meet with the WADA, thinking that there will tell on what scientific methods based their tests. But they not only did not provide such information, but also gave us to understand that offended our curiosity. "

 

However, this curiosity may not be completely idle. Knowing how the mechanism of the anti-doping test, there is a chance to cheat. History of baseball Taylor Teagarden, among other things, an Olympic medalist, confirmation of this. Journalists TV "Al Jazeera" revelation athlete removed a hidden camera.

 

"I used a steroid Delta-2 last year. Frankly, very afraid. I took him for two weeks, and four weeks later I had the check. And found nothing. I also took the peptides. But the analysis of something I took only the urine rather than blood, "- said the bronze medalist at the 2008 Olympics baseball player Taylor Teagarden.

 

Private sports leagues will never be allowed to his onlookers, said Professor John Hoberman, author of several works on the theme of sport and doping.

 

"What does the sport? If the maximum results, maximum success, the maximum commercial profit, maximum political advantage, then the idea of ​​the fight against doping is doomed to failure, "- says Professor University of Texas in the documentary" Doping: the dark side of the sport. "

 

Another aspect that can not be ignored, watching the resistance of American sports leagues to the World Anti-Doping Agency. According to some estimates, the global market of doping, much of which falls on the United States, reached $ 50 billion, which is comparable to cocaine market - 85 billion per year. From such a relationship is difficult to refuse.