Doping control in Seychelles sports – interview with Jean Larue-Athletes aren’t serious and aren’t making an effort to stop using drugs |14 October 2006

With a mission to keep Seychelles sports clean and leaving no place for cheaters, the Seychelles National Anti-Doping Commission (SNADC) has been visiting playing venues quite often to do random tests on established criteria (podium finishers) and targeted athletes.

Exactly five months since the first tests were conducted, 53 sportsmen and women have tested positive for recreational drugs like cannabis, marijuana and even opium. Instead of registering a decrease in the number of offenders, there is instead a rise in the number of cheaters, meaning that they aren’t taking the drugs tests being done by SNADC seriously. 

It is to note that all doping controls are carried out in accordance with the world anti-doping code and the international standard for testing developed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).

Sports Nation met with Jean Larue, the director general for Sports Planning and Policy Development within the Sports Department of the Ministry of the Arts, Culture and Sports (MACS), and he gave us his views of the situation.

Sports Nation: Since the first doping test was carried here in May, the number of cheaters has kept increasing. What is your opinion of this situation?

Mr Larue: Figures don’t lie. After a period of time, we noticed a decrease in the number of positive cases among sportsmen and women playing in first division teams. But when we started testing teams in lower divisions, the number increased. This proves that there are still sportsmen and women who are using drugs. They aren’t serious and aren’t making an effort to stop using drugs. The fact that we are doing tests randomly, it is very likely that an athlete could be picked to do the tests quite often. We have cases of athletes testing negative three times while others have tested positive after being picked for the second or third time. Some sportsmen and women have decided to stop doing sports to avoid being caught while those who are still competing are taking chances, thinking that they will not be picked for random testing. SNADC is also aware that some players tend not to compete during weekends when there are more Doping Control Officers at different venues. But they do play on week days as we are not doing tests everyday due to some technical difficulties which we are working on. There are also reports that players from Praslin don’t accompany their teams for matches on Mahe. Gradually, everything will fall in place and all cheaters will be caught. After random testing, we will come up with another testing formula. Sportsmen and women will be notified beforehand through an official letter and they will be given a date to report for testing. If athletes fail to comply, they will be banned automatically.

Sports Nation: There are people who argue that doping tests are killing Seychelles sports. Do you think this is true?

Mr Larue: This is not true. Doping tests have existed for so many years in international competitions and many Seychelles sportsmen and women have been chosen to do those tests when competing internationally. Not one of them spoke negatively about it. As coach of the country’s football team in 1990, I remember that a Seychellois player had to do a doping test during the Indian Ocean Islands Games in Madagascar.
In fact, I believe that doping control is cleaning up Seychelles sports. When was the last time Seychelles beat Mauritius in football? We’ve done it twice this year. It seems that national team players who are playing clean are more focused on physical and tactical training. They are now playing tough and getting positive results, instead of thinking that playing under the influence of drugs would give them the necessary qualities to win matches. This is proof that doping control is not killing Seychelles sports. Also if people argue that doping control is killing Seychelles sport, why isn’t it killing sports in the USA, Mauritius or Australia?

Sports Nation: Some sportsmen and women also argue that they are not paid to do sports and therefore they should not do drugs tests.

Mr Larue: It is true that local sportsmen and women do sports on an amateur level. But one thing they don’t realise is that when they compete internationally, for example in the Olympic Games, they always want to finish among the medals. In such Games, they don’t see themselves as amateurs as they have the will to win against their professional opponents. Therefore, they have to accept the fact that doping control exists and will continue to exist. There are also allegations that Seychellois sportsmen and women are taking masking agents to minimise the chances of them testing positive. We will go tough on these people once we catch them.

Sports Nation: When will Seychelles start doing more sophisticated doping tests?

Mr Larue: This will start next year. We have all the kits but urine samples will be sent to a laboratory in South Africa for testing. It is going to cost us between US $300 and US $400 for one test. For 100 tests, will be spending at least US $18,000. Even though it is expensive, we have to do it and we will target some sports and athletes and this will be done according to international regulations.

Sports Nation: Does the SNADC still think that the names of those who have tested positive should not be revealed?

Mr Larue: We are revising our position on this matter. We decided at first that not revealing names would be a good thing. But the minute people do not see a certain player in action, they start saying a lot of things. Early next year, we will announce if we will reveal the names of those who have tested positive or not.

Sports Nation: Some sportsmen have also argued that these tests are not 100% accurate?

Mr Larue: Is there a test that is a 100% accurate? Take the example of Floyd Landis (the American cyclist who won this year’s Tour de France but failed a drugs test). Some people argue that there must have been a mistake in the tests. But many don’t realise that these tests done on him are among the best.

Sports Nation: Sportsmen and women who have tested positive for drugs were supposed to be rehabilitated so that they re-integrate into their sports after having served their suspension. How well is this programme going on?

Mr Larue: We’ve met with Care (Campaign for Awareness, Resilience and Education against drugs and alcohol abuse), Dac (Drugs and Alcohol Council) and we expect to bring along other organisations to work on a good rehabilitation and educational programme for those who have tested positive. But it is unfortunate that those same athletes refuse to follow the sessions. The programme can only be successful if the athletes play their role, that is accepting the opportunity to be rehabilitated. We will continue in our efforts to bring this service to them.

Sports Nation: The first athletes to have tested positive are expected back in action in November after having served their suspension. How will the SNADC go about with them?

Mr Larue: If sports federations and associations decide that those athletes should be tested before they resume playing, SNADC will do it. If not, SNADC will continue with its random testing and if those same athletes are picked for testing and their results return positive, they will be banned for one year.
I would like to note that there will always be some slight problems as Wada international is still encountering many problems and is now working with Interpol to track down drug trafficking. Sportsmen and women are always looking for excuses not to take a test but they cannot prove why they have banned substances in their urine sample.

G. G.