Stakeholders Call for Stronger Measures to Curb Drug Use in Sports

Sports stakeholders in Ogun State have called for stronger and coordinated measures to prevent the use of performance-enhancing and psychoactive substances among athletes, particularly at the grassroots level.

The stakeholders made the call while highlighting the need for sustained education, regular drug testing, effective medical support and greater attention to the mental and physical wellbeing of athletes.

The President of All-Stars Football Club, Chairman of the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria, Ogun State Chapter, and Chairman of the Ogun State Teqhball Association,Alhaji Waheed Adeoye Lawal described the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports as unacceptable.

Alhaji Lawal said athletes should depend on their natural abilities, discipline and proper training to achieve success, stressing that doping undermines the integrity of sports by making it difficult to distinguish genuine talent from drug-assisted performance.

According to him, although some athletes used drugs during his playing days, the majority achieved success through their natural abilities.

He said sports stakeholders have a responsibility to educate young athletes about the dangers of doping through workshops, lectures and regular sensitization programmes.

He added that his organisations visit youth clubs and training camps to educate athletes about the consequences of drug use and encourage them to pursue clean and sustainable sporting careers.

The administrator said no case of drug use had so far been recorded among young athletes under their watch, attributing this partly to continuous education and sensitization.

He urged other stakeholders to intensify efforts to reach athletes at the grassroots, expose them to examples of sportsmen and women whose careers were negatively affected by doping, and encourage young athletes to pursue success through hard work and discipline.

SPORTS MEDICINE EXPERT RAISES CONCERN

The Head of the Sports Medicine Clinic of the Ogun State Sports Council, Chief Matron Olasupo Abimbola, said there had been no recorded case of athletes from the state testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs since she joined the council in 2006.

Mrs Olasupo disclosed this while speaking on measures to prevent the use of banned substances among athletes in the state.

She recalled an incident during a youth games competition at the University of Ilorin when an athlete was found to have used performance-enhancing drugs.

According to her, although the athlete was originally from Ogun State, she was representing another state at the competition.

The sports medicine expert said she regularly educates athletes on the dangers and consequences of using performance-enhancing substances.

She explained that health talks and continuous counselling are provided during training sessions to ensure that athletes understand the possible effects of substance use on their health and sporting careers.

Mrs Olasupo urged athletes to remain committed to clean sports, stressing that discipline, proper training and natural ability are essential to building successful and lasting sporting careers.

KUNG FU COACH WARNS AGAINST DOPING

A Kung Fu coach, Linus John Samuel, also advised athletes to shun performance-enhancing drugs, warning that doping could have serious consequences for their careers.

Samuels said athletes should rely on natural strength, proper training and discipline instead of substances designed to artificially enhance performance.

He recalled that during his active years, athletes were neither encouraged nor trained to use drugs to improve their performance.

He said doping could prevent athletes from developing their natural abilities and potentially affect the longevity of their careers.

The coach called on other coaches and sports stakeholders to educate athletes about the dangers of doping and discourage the practice at every level.

He urged athletes to pursue success through hard work, proper training and natural ability.

Sports Developer Advocates Early Drug Testing

A sports developer and former basketball player, Falowo Adedeji called for regular drug testing of athletes, particularly those competing at the grassroots level.

Adedeji who is also a realtor and youth sports development advocate, warned that doping could destroy athletes' dreams and careers, especially when they progress to professional competitions.

He advocated mandatory drug testing at Under-15, Under-17 and Under-18 competitions, as well as state-level tournaments, before athletes proceed to national and international competitions.

He said early detection and proper monitoring would help identify athletes who may be tempted to use performance-enhancing substances and discourage the practice before it becomes entrenched.

Adedeji also called for stronger sports medical teams and adequate facilities at competition venues to enable officials to conduct regular and effective testing.

He suggested the establishment of a dedicated mechanism or task force to monitor doping during competitions and ensure that suspected cases are properly investigated.

He urged coaches and sports officials to report suspected cases through appropriate channels, saying all stakeholders must work together to protect young athletes and preserve the integrity of sports.

He further proposed drug testing at regional sports festivals, including South-West competitions, before athletes advance to the National Sports Festival and other major events.

Psychologist Seeks Greater Awareness of Substance Abuse

A Director of Clinical Psychology at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta Dr. Olarenwaju Sodehinde called for increased sensitization of athletes, coaches and other sports stakeholders on the dangers associated with performance-enhancing and psychoactive substances.

Dr Sodehinde said athletes may be driven to substance use by pressure to win, intense physical exercise, injuries, pain management, peer pressure and unhealthy comparisons with other athletes.

He identified alcohol, tobacco products, caffeinated products, cannabis, opioids such as codeine and tramadol, anabolic steroids and some traditional preparations among substances that may be misused.

The clinical psychologist warned that substance misuse could have serious psychological and physical consequences, including anxiety, mood disorders, depression, mania, hypomania and, in severe cases, psychotic disorders.

He also identified hypertension, other cardiovascular complications and impaired reaction time as possible physical consequences.

On statistics concerning athletes receiving treatment for substance-related problems in Nigeria, Dr Sodehinde said reliable figures were difficult to establish because treatment centres do not always classify patients according to their sporting status.

He noted, however, that research evidence indicates that substance use tends to be more prevalent among males than females.

Dr Sodehinde called on government, sports authorities, professional associations and coaches to intensify efforts to educate young athletes about substance abuse.

He particularly stressed the influence of coaches and other figures within the sporting environment, noting that athletes could be encouraged to use prohibited or harmful substances by people around them.

The expert urged stakeholders to reject a “winning at all costs” mentality, saying athletes should understand that victory must be achieved honourably.

He advised athletes to see failure as an opportunity to learn and improve rather than a reason to resort to drugs.