Source: The Daily - Sportaccord - Day 3
The Mafia make more out of the traffic in illegal steroids than they do from heroin, David Howman told LawAccord delegates yesterday. The secretary-general of the World Anti-Doping Agency made the observation as he introduced the first session of yesterday’s LawAccord International Convention at the Park Plaza County Hall. The session, attended by dozens of sports law professionals, debated whether international sports anti-doping law might act as a model for global lawmaking in general.
“WADA sets an example of how private enterprise can work with governments,” Howman said. “So why should we not use that model to help protect sport against the multiple threats it faces?” The New Zealander expressed his disquiet at the scale of the criminal challenge facing sport. “The underworld is probably taking over world sport – it’s probably now interfering in 20 per cent of global sporting activity,” he said. “Trafficking in drugs like EPO, human growth hormone and steroids is hugely profitable – a ten-dollar investment yields a thousand-dollar return.” Nor are drugs the only reason for criminal activity in sport. “The same people are also involved in gambling,” he said. “They use the legal betting industry to launder the proceeds of drugs and illegal gambling.” Howman pointed also to the incidence of bribery and corruption among the very people whose duty it is to help enforce anti-doping measures. “We hear regularly of anti-doping officers approaching laboratory staff and asking them to skew results in favour of the tested athlete.” He concluded: “Why don’t we take a holistic view of the issues that affect the integrity of sport and see how lawmakers can respond across the board?”
BUT FIRST DEFINITION WE SHOULD MAKE IS THE TERM MAFIA.
WHAT IS MAFIA?
WHO IS MAFIA?
HOW MANY PEOPLE IS MAFIA?
WHERE IS MAFIA?
AND IN THIS CONTROLED WORLD, IS THERE ANY CHANCE FOR SOME ILLEGAL MAFIA?
“WADA sets an example of how private enterprise can work with governments,” Howman said. “So why should we not use that model to help protect sport against the multiple threats it faces?” The New Zealander expressed his disquiet at the scale of the criminal challenge facing sport. “The underworld is probably taking over world sport – it’s probably now interfering in 20 per cent of global sporting activity,” he said. “Trafficking in drugs like EPO, human growth hormone and steroids is hugely profitable – a ten-dollar investment yields a thousand-dollar return.” Nor are drugs the only reason for criminal activity in sport. “The same people are also involved in gambling,” he said. “They use the legal betting industry to launder the proceeds of drugs and illegal gambling.” Howman pointed also to the incidence of bribery and corruption among the very people whose duty it is to help enforce anti-doping measures. “We hear regularly of anti-doping officers approaching laboratory staff and asking them to skew results in favour of the tested athlete.” He concluded: “Why don’t we take a holistic view of the issues that affect the integrity of sport and see how lawmakers can respond across the board?”
BUT FIRST DEFINITION WE SHOULD MAKE IS THE TERM MAFIA.
WHAT IS MAFIA?
WHO IS MAFIA?
HOW MANY PEOPLE IS MAFIA?
WHERE IS MAFIA?
AND IN THIS CONTROLED WORLD, IS THERE ANY CHANCE FOR SOME ILLEGAL MAFIA?
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