The President of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), attorney Christopher Samuda, has backed the position of international sporting bodies on the recently announced “Enhanced Games”.
Proponents of the introduction of the drug-testing free “Enhanced Games” continue to push for acceptance of their agenda against growing opposition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Fair Play Committee (CIFP), which condemned it as “such an event would be devoid of all any fair play and sportsmanship.”
In support of the position of these international sporting bodies, the President of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), Christopher Samuda, commented that “before we get to the physical performance and culture of sport, there is the character, values, ethics and integrity of sport which determine what we play, why we play, how we play and our moral duty to inspire and transform the game.”
The “Enhanced Games” will not require drug testing to be conducted and President Samuda warns of the inherent danger. “If you accept the principle that “nature abhors a vacuum”, then we can see the danger of doping filling the container of sport, which will very well lead to its bottom falling out.”
Athletes will be offered huge and unrivalled prize money in addition to an attractive basic salary if they take part in the Games and break world records. Three-time world champion swimmer James Magnussen of Australia has said he is ready to compete.
The capitalisation and commercialisation of sport has inevitably increased over the last three decades, especially with the advance of technology. However, President Samuda offers a timely reminder: “Laboratory testing protects and certifies the truth that money can’t buy, but which doping hides, and those who spend money on world records must always avoid increasing the risk of entering the netherworld of health hazards.”
