No longer will they be able to dodge a puppet administration :

Sri Lanka rugby cheats face hangman's noose

by Callistus Davy

Rugby promoters have begun a crackdown on what they see as a shadowy side where a growing number of players they claim go after almost any available substance to boost physical strength on the field and then plead ignorance to escape punishment or even elude a puppet administration.

Their first shot comes in the form of a booklet they put out on Friday that specifies the outlawed boosters and the subsequent repercussions it can have on the users.

The booklet is a Sinhalese translation of the International Rugby Board (IRB) anti doping code in accordance with what is laid down by the World Anti Doping Agency or WADA.

"We can no longer restrict the fight against illegal drugs to just books and words.

"There must be a plan for everyone responsible (coaches, managers and administrators) to ensure that rugby is kept clean", declared former Sri Lanka prop forward and Police player MH Marso, now a vice president of the influential Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) and Project Chairman of Anti Doping.

Former Sri Lanka second rower Nazim Mohamed who heads the WPRFU contended that the need for indigenous enforcement of the anti doping code was mainly because rugby was no longer an elitist sport dominated by an English speaking fraternity in the island. Although it is not officially known how many players indulge in taking specifically banned substances, some officials of the WPRFU admit in private that Sri Lanka could be having the highest number of rugby players hooked on illegal drugs that includes marijuana commonly known as ganja and outlawed by the IRB.

The players reportedly performing under the tentacles of doping, according to undocumented cases, fall into all segments which includes even schoolboys who are said to be influenced by club and Sri Lanka players who have disappeared from venues in the country soon after matches to escape doping control officials.

Testing of one player through a urine sample could cost the country's new drug-busting authority known as the Sri Lanka Anti Doping Agency, that functions under the auspices of WADA, as much as 300 US dollars.

Dr Seevali Jayawickerema who heads the authority told the Sunday Observer that even a simple cough syrup or a breathing enhancer drug can boost energy levels of a player who will have an unfair advantage over his rivals.

"It is not an easy task to bust up illegal drug users. First we need to educate them, for example on its side effects", said Dr. Jayawickrema.

With rugby having gained ascendency as probably the number one domestic crowd pulling sport in the country, especially among schools where match outcomes can make or break backstage think-tanks, drug busters may need more than just a booklet in their battle to keep the robust game doping-free.

A common scourge that anti doping officials are wary of is the syndrome called Supplements that most players go after and are available in stores and pharmacies island-wide.

In its anti doping code the IRB has warned that players face the risk of bans for up to four years even by taking Supplements which have no guarantee it is free from ingredients that are banned.