For the first time, an awareness programme on ‘Sports and Doping’ was conducted in Thimphu yesterday. The programme was organised to promote awareness among the athletes, coaches and peers about the adverse effects of alcohol, drugs and doping in sports.
The workshop aims to encourage athletes to adopt positive and healthy attitude towards sports, and their day-to-day activities. Participants were also made familiar with the ethics of sports and the consequences of doping.
According to the Doping Control Officer and the Member of Anti-Doping Committee, Nima Gyeltshen, it is very important for the athletes and the people associated with sports to know about doping and its consequences. He added that Bhutanese athletes might land up taking drugs without knowing. “Even some of the pain killers are restricted medicine. So I think we need to make them aware that these are restricted.”
However, he said, so far there had been no positive case of doping from the athletes within the country and outside. The most expected sports where doping is usually resorted are those sports which needs a lot of strength and energy like body building, weight lifting, cycling, and marathon.
The South Asian Regional Anti-Doping Organisation Board Meeting will be held soon in Bhutan.
