Gems undergo doping tests

Veronica Gwaze

DOPING tests for Zimbabwe senior netball national team are set to begin with the Netball Association engaging Zimbabwe Olympic Committee to conduct tests in preparation for the 2019 Netball World Cup.

The global showcase will run from July 12-21 at the Echo Arena, Liverpool with 16 countries battling for the world title.

And the Gems, who will be making their maiden appearance at the jamboree will be undergoing mandatory doping.

ZINA president Leticia Chipandu said the association has already submitted a list of players to undergo the doping tests.

“The World Cup is a very serious competition and there is going to be compulsory doping.

“We have engaged ZOC to do the preliminary tests to ensure we are safe as preparations for the World Cup come to full swing. We have already sent a list to ZOC so we are now waiting for them to send their doping team which I am sure comes any day because they just come unannounced,” she said.

Mandatorily, Chipandu said all the Gems will undergo the preliminary testing round although at the global showcase random sampling could come into play.

Currently a 20-member squad is on the table, but that number will be trimmed to 12 for the final camp.

“This is a qualifying requirement which at times is conducted randomly but for us, all the girls will go through the preliminary testing to ensure we leave no room for mistakes,” she said.

Chipandu added that those whose results will indicate use of disallowed drugs will be dropped from the squad.

After the preliminary tests, drug related education for the Gems will be the next protocol to ensure they do not take to drugs or disallowed substances for improved performance in camp.

The drug related programmes come at a time when players could be tempted to take to drugs use to improve their performances in a quest to secure places for the World Cup.