The latest positive doping test involving a South African rugby player should not be viewed as evidence of a systemic problem in the game, according to SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport CEO Khalid Galan.
The comments follow news that Junior Boks prop Kai Pratt returned an adverse analytical finding for an anabolic steroid after being tested in April. The 18-year-old has requested that his B sample also be tested.
MORE: Junior Bok faces doping ban
Galant rejected suggestions that South African rugby has a widespread doping culture.
“Systemic assumes that, as was the case with Russian sport, there is alleged involvement of either the government or a governing body, such as SA Rugby, which of course insinuates complicity,” he told Rapport. “However, this is not the case in South Africa. The statistics prove it.”
Galant said the number of positive cases reflected the strength of Saids’ testing programme rather than a failure of the system.
“We don’t like to catch an athlete,” he said. “It’s not like we’re cracking the champagne every time someone tests positive. As a regulator, we’re simply carrying out a task that’s been assigned to us, and this is not a witch hunt at all.
“The high number of positive cases we’re dealing with is simply because of the robust testing programme that we’re running.”
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Galant added that South Africa is one of the few countries to conduct drug testing at school level, helping identify problems early while also discouraging doping.
“We carry out tests and identify specific issues,” he said. “However, the testing also serves as a deterrent. To use Craven Week as an example: The number of players who test positive annually at the tournament has decreased significantly since 2010.”
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Responding to criticism over a reduction in testing in recent years, Galant said financial constraints, rather than any conspiracy, were to blame.
“We are receiving limited funding from the government, while sending samples to laboratories in places like Barcelona, Belgium and Qatar for analysis is becoming increasingly expensive,” he said.
“The European media, especially those in Britain and France, have started making such allegations mainly because the Boks have won back-to-back World Cup titles.”
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
The post Drug watchdog defends SA rugby appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
The latest positive doping test involving a South African rugby player should not be viewed as evidence of a systemic problem in the game, according to SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport CEO Khalid Galan.
The post Drug watchdog defends SA rugby appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
