PRIVATE sector involvement in promoting, coordinating and monitoring the fight against banned substances in sports is picking up in line with the need for the Philippines to be compliant with the policies of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Ricky Vargas said plans are now afoot to set up a private laboratory to test and assist athletes involved with banned substances.
“While it’s the responsibility of the Philippine Sports Commission, on the other end, the private sector is trying to set up a World Anti Doping Agency laboratory. The private sector is ready to help,” said Vargas during a recent meeting of the POC General Assembly.
For now it will be costly set up such a facility which is why help from the PSC is welcome said Vargas.
This week, the PSC will be holding an anti-doping summit and seminar at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) with Southeast Asia Regional Anti-Doping Organization (SEA-RADO).
SEA-RADO Director General, Dir. Gobinathan Nair and Dr. Jose Raul Canlas of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Medical and Doping Commission are among the speakers.
Two hundred fifty participants from local government units (LGUs), university and collegiate sports organizations, national sports associations (NSAs) and other stakeholders are expected to attend.
Philippine Sports Institute (PSI) national training director Marc Edward Velasco is overseeing preparations for this event. The summits and seminars will commence on July 19.
The National Summit on Anti-Doping in Sport will be held with important issues on the matter to be discussed. The International Standard for Code Compliance will be among the important topics to be discussed.
In the next two days, July 20 and 21, national coaches will be in a seminar for Anti-Doping in the Philippines where the World Anti-Doping Code 2015, medical Disclosures and therapeutic use exemptions are among many topics.
Dr. Alejandro Pineda, a PSC sports medicine doctor and PHI-NADO (Philippine National Anti-Doping Organization) head will spearhead the events.
The seminars come a few months after Gilas Pilipinas player Kiefer Ravena was banned from participating in FIBA-sanctioned tournaments for 18 months.
Ravana was banned by FIBA after he tested positive for three substances included in the list of Prohibited Substances by the WADA last February following his stint in two games of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers against Japan and Australia.
Analysis of a sample that was conducted in a World Anti-Doping Association accredited facility in Montreal, Canada revealed the presence substances like 4-dimethylhexan-2-amine or methylhexaneamine, along with 3-dimethylbutylamine, and higenamine.