Drugs a head start for future losses

David Kennedy, Contributor, Jakarta, d_kenn@yahoo.com

When men's tour tennis player Greg Rusedski cried foul play last month over his positive test for the banned substance nandrolone, it raised more than a few eyebrows.

His statement provoked mixed reactions -- ranging from sympathy for his predicament among his peers to support for the stringent testing regime imposed in the sport.

Rusedski's defense centers on previous cases when Association of Tennis Professional (ATP) trainers were found to be issuing supplements containing doping substances without the players' knowledge.

Even former US Open and Wimbledon champion John McEnroe has admitted to unwittingly taking a form of the steroid over a period of six years during the final years of his career.

The world of sport is so tainted by doping scandals that the public has become increasingly skeptical of athletes' claims of innocence. Public suspicion is so high that even the tragic death of a young soccer player from a heart attack during a game in Portugal recently inevitably raised the question whether his death was drug related.

However, according to sports experts here, high profile stories of top athletes are only a small part of the problem. They argue that stimulants, steroids, beta blockers and other substances banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) and international sports federations are more prevalent among amateur sports enthusiasts and athletes aspiring to professional levels than established professionals.

"According to my experience testing at the PON (Indonesian National Games, held every four years) we always find doping cases including steroids. It's not that much though, about three of four cases," said Dr. Dangsina from the University Of Indonesia Sports Medicine Department.

The country's primary doping expert, Dr. Dangsina has tested thousands of Indonesian weightlifters, body builders and power lifters at the PON as well as competitors in the annual badminton open. She only recalls a handful of suspensions or bans.

While senior athletes are well informed of what doping will do to their bodies -- and to their careers if they are caught -- she said the lack of knowledge among the public and the ready availability of black market drugs could pose a potentially serious public health problem. Side effects, she said, can include brittle bones, liver and kidney failure and depression.

"We have to educate athletes and other stakeholders: the associations, the clubs, the coaches, the parents also," she said, adding that it could take the form of an information campaign to the public.

"Sometimes the pressure does not come from the athlete -- especially the young athlete -- it comes from the parents and the coach. Everybody wants to be the winner and sometimes it's preferred to take a short cut rather than work out every day, training."

As in the rest of the world when doping cases emerge at the national level in Indonesia, often medicines and supplements and unscrupulous or uninformed coaches get the blame.

When the International Badminton Federation announced five years ago that top doubles player Sigit Budiarto tested positive for nandrolone, the player explained he consumed the anabolic steroid in herbal medicine at the recommendation of his masseur.

Local weightlifting champion Gustar Junianto was previously suspended for two years for allegedly unintentionally consuming a Chinese porridge which contained banned substances.

"It's still mysterious, was it the porridge?" said Dr. Dangsina, "because he also took a lot of jamu (traditional health tonic), three or four kinds and sometimes jamu also contains medicine -- they say 'this jamu makes you stronger' but inside you could find drugs."

The National Sports Council (KONI) does not consider the Indonesian predilection for traditional medicines and tonics as a legitimate defense in doping cases. Competing athletes are given a list of banned medicines and substances. All competitors are tested at national games and must have prescriptions from doctors for any drugs found in their system, in line with IOC standards. Samples are sent to independent laboratories overseas.

"We oblige every sporting association to have a doping committee. If any drugs are found then we will drop the athletes. We don't want to have fake athletes," said KONI Secretary-General Djohar Arifin Husin.

Ade Rai, Indonesia's "Hercules" and international body building champion, is an outspoken critic of drugs in sport and also of the sports council which he left in 2000 following disagreements with the organization.

He campaigns for zero tolerance of drugs in sport and he believes successful athletes should be role models for young people. He agrees with KONI that there is less of a drug problem at senior professional sporting levels than at amateur and semiprofessional levels.

But he is critical of the "win at any cost" culture that he says prevails in the national sports council and which may result in occasions where coaches and officials turn a blind eye to doping.

"Maybe they think 'oh if you take that and then you can lift heavier, then it's OK, as long as you don't get caught'," he said.

"That's what I call artificial achievement. That's what happens in KONI and in most of the sports organizations here in Indonesia. They see achievement as a medal. They don't care about the process of how you get it -- all they care is that you get the medal and then they will sponsor you and promote you."

"That is the kind of attitude we want to change," he said, referring to his franchise chain of gyms and range of publications promoting body building as a healthy, natural activity.

Budding athletes are particularly vulnerable when they are in the early stages of training in individual sports, said Ade Rai. Lacking the support system that exists in team sports, they can lose heart when they don't see results in the first months and years of their training or when they see others in a gym progressing faster than they do.

Some opt for the shortcut -- taking steroids to increase body mass and bulk up muscles. They fall prey to dealers which, according to Ade Rai, are present in almost every fitness center in Jakarta. Although he said that most of the dealers are selling fake drugs or ineffective ones, he believes they pose a health risk and needs to be treated in the same way as narcotics dealers by the police.

It is almost common knowledge among weightlifters and body builders that steroids are sold illegally on the streets of Kota and Glodok in West Jakarta, and in the bird market area in Pramuka, East Jakarta.

According to one Ministry of Health official, it is a source of irritation and embarrassment that the illicit trade of hazardous drugs, such as dexametazone, in Pramuka is located next to the country's food and drugs agency.

Academics, officials and sportsmen agree that enforcement of Law 5/1997 on psychotropic needs to be applied to steroids in the same way as narcotics. Dr. Husniah Rubiana Thamrin Akib, director of the Ministry of Health unit dealing with drugs policy, hopes the police can do more to crack down on dealers.

The Directorate General of Pharmaceutical Services and Medical Supplies was only set up two years ago and director of rational use of medicine under the directorate, Dr. Husniah, admits that a lot needs to be done to protect the public -- and not only those who frequent gyms.

"In some manufactured traditional medicines for rheumatism and for weight gain they put corticosteroids. Also certain traditional medicines from Central Java contain steroids," she said.

Responding to calls from KONI and others for public information campaigns, Dr. Husniah pointed out that such campaigns are currently under way.

"We are doing community empowerment seminars for high school children and women's associations regarding rational drug use. Maybe for the next topic we can put special emphasis on steroids," she said, adding that given the short length of time the directorate has operated, it may lack sufficient coverage of the communities affected.

When asked what role the sports council plays in combating the use of steroids and other doping substances such as energy drinks, KONI secretary-general Djohar replied that his organization only intervenes in sporting competitions.

A much needed boost to efforts to inform the public may come later in the year with the formation of the Indonesian chapter of WADA which will be set up under the Ministry of Education.

If the Indonesian WADA has a broad mandate to work with schools, sports associations and the police, it could have a significant impact on the use of sports drugs here, still quite low in comparison to other countries.

Nevertheless, advances in drug production, coupled with what the Indonesian Medical Association sees as a worrying lack of auditing of doctors' prescriptions could contribute to a growing problem.

Ade Rai is hopeful that body building will light the way for other sports.

"They say that bodybuilding in Indonesia is 30 years behind the U.S or Europe. But I say that that's a good thing as it means we are still pure, so the vitality is still there. Taking drugs is just like cheating or corruption.

"If you take drugs then there is nothing to be proud of."