The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) finally broke its silence on the “dark side” of doping, in which the Bahamas has been accused of assisting in the supplies of performance-enhancing drugs to some elite athletes. In a press release, the BAAA made it crystal clear that they will continue to have a “zero” policy and will continue to promote a clean and healthy sport.

The release came yesterday, two days after a report from Al Jazeera’s Investigation Unit screened on Sunday entitled, “The Dark Side - Secrets Of The Sports Dopers” was released in the local dailies and revealed how Tim Montgomery, a former American sprinter, was caught in 2005, banned for two years and stripped of his men’s 100 metre world record.

The BAAA, now headed by newly elected president Rosamunde Carey, is the governing body for the sport in the country. Their release came a day after both the Bahamas Olympic Committee, the highest body for sports in the country and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, the government agency for sports, responded to the allegations, which also included two doctors - Dr Cyprian Strachan and Dr Fox, the latter whom indicated that he worked with three members of the “Golden Girls”, although he stated that he had only dealt with them regarding traditional medications.

In response, sprinter Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie told The Tribune that she’s “drug free and will remain drug free.” That was as far as Ferguson-McKenzie, who now serves as an assistant coach at the University of Houston, would say on the record. She indicated that she’s not prepared to deal with the issue until a complete investigation is done.

In its release, the BAAA said they “watched in grave dismay the Al-Jazeera documentary and was disheartened at the allegations raised. The BAAA absolutely has a no tolerance approach and does not support the use of doping.”

The BAAA maintains that “throughout the history of track and field,” their federation has “promoted a clean sport and remains compliant with all of the World Anti-Doping Agency as well as the Bahamas Anti-Doping Commission doping protocols. We jealously guard the legacy and the reputation of our great sport.”

Further, the BAAA said they will “do everything within our power to foster a sport that remains clean, above reproach and free of actions that contravene policies and the codes of ethics of our strategic national and international partners.”

“The Dark Side” paints a picture of an underground marketplace where athletes can easily obtain drugs that are hard to detect even with sophisticated drug tests like those implemented by Major League Baseball, the NFL and the Olympics. And it raises questions about how serious the owners of professional sports teams are about rooting out drug use, which can make the games more exciting and profitable, while doing damage to the bodies of players, not owners.