Dr Warren Blake - File

Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) President, Dr Warren Blake, has made a u-turn in his stance on high-school level doping tests.

Blake's change of heart comes in the wake of the scrutiny Jamaica's track and field programme has come under following the set of adverse analytical findings in the 'A' samples of five of the country's athletes.

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller announced in Parliament on Tuesday that her administration will move towards commencing high-school level doping tests in partnership with parents, the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders.

"That (high-school level doping test) will be supported by the JAAA," Blake said.

"It is something that I have in the past resisted, because nobody else in the world tests their athletes at this level. On this basis, I have always resisted it that we should not put our athletes through the additional burden."

The five athletes that returned adverse analytical findings in their 'A' samples at June's National Junior and Senior Trials brought the number of such results to 16 in four years. This has led to the country's credibility in the sport being questioned and Blake believes steps have to be taken to prove that our athletes are clean.

adverse findings

"We have now reached a position on the world stage where all eyes are on us and people are pointing fingers at us and saying that we are cheaters," Blake said. "With the adverse analytical findings which have been returned, I think it is prudent that we show the world that we do have a good testing programme and we test our athletes at all levels and we are a clean nation."

Blake, who is a founding member of the Jamaica Association of Sports Medicine and was the chairman of the Medical and Anti-Doping Committee of the JAAA, intends to work in collaboration with the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCo) to increase the awareness of local athletes regarding doping.

"I have had discussions with JADCo and we know that JADCo has a good education programme and that is going to be ramped up," Blake said.

"We have had certain mishaps with doping, but we have to ensure that our athletes know about harmful substances, know about what they can and what they should not take, but we have to push on with the education efforts and we have to take it to the schools.

"We have to ensure that it becomes a part of the curriculum for our coaches, so a coach does not graduate from G.C. Foster without knowing about doping, so when he goes to PE (physical education) classes he can lecture the students about doping and anti-doping."