JADCO’s quiz brings clean sport message to students

A NEW anti-doping quiz is helping the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) take its education programme for junior athletes beyond simply memorising the rules in the fight against doping in sports.

JADCO recently held the second of its four planned regional workshops for junior athletes in Mandeville, serving Region 2, which comprises Manchester, Clarendon, and St Elizabeth.

The quiz, contested by schools in each region, is a first for the workshops.

It is designed to test knowledge of anti-doping matters while encouraging teamwork, critical thinking, quick decision-making, and problem-solving.

JADCO Executive Director June Spence-Jarrett told the athletes that the choices they make now will shape their professional futures.

“You may be a junior athlete today, but you have your eyes set on representing Jamaica at the highest level,” she said.

“So let us reflect on the theme: Play True, Stay Clean, Win Right,” the JADCO boss added.

Participants welcomed the annual event and the range of topics covered.

Deshaun Jones, a student athlete at Decarteret College and winner of the inaugural quiz, told The Gleaner that work is especially important in his sport.

“I believe what JADCO is doing is very important, especially in my sport, which is American football, where it’s very violent, very rough. You can get injured and stuff,” he said. “So if somebody’s taking performance enhancers, that is going to be unfair for me and my team, and we’re not going to be able to win the championship like we did last time,” Jones said.

Lajey Powell of Roger Clark High in St Elizabeth led his school to second place in the quiz, ahead of Bishop Gibson High School for Girls, which ended third.

He used the occasion to warn his peers about supplements.

“Some supplements that we drink, like for body enhancement, some of them are dangerous, and they are prohibited by JADCO,” Powell told The Gleaner.

Spence-Jarrett stressed that junior athletes must take personal responsibility for staying clean, noting that “drugs will destroy you. Shortcuts will destroy you,” she said.

With two workshops left on its calendar, JADCO hopes that the clean sport message will take hold among the next generation of athletes.