NADO: ‘It’s Not About Catching Cheaters Only. It’s Protecting Athletes’

The National Powerlifting Championships took place on Saturday, March 28. Men and women competed across senior and junior categories. However, to keep the game fair and square, the National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) was keeping a watchful eye.

The role of NADO in many of Belize’s sports competitions goes beyond “catching cheaters.” According to Director Charles Slusher, the organisation exists primarily to protect athletes’ health.

“We are protecting them by having these types of tests because hopefully that will deter them from wanting to use performance enhancement drugs in the future. The key thing is to protect them because there are a lot of dangers that can accumulate from using these types of drugs,” Slusher said.

Testing was conducted after athletes finished in their respective categories, with urine samples sent to a World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratory in the United States. Five tests were carried out per category.

Results for the testing are normally within 14 days, and positive tests could lead to suspensions, loss of titles, or forfeited prizes.

Slusher added that NADO’s work also includes education. “We try to encourage most of our athletes to look at WADA’s list because it is an athlete’s responsibility to know what they take into the system. In other words, you cannot say, ‘Oh, well, somebody gave me.’ He or she is supposed to do their own research,” he said.

“A lot of people might not be used to what the NADO does, but like I said, our key thing is prevention and protecting our athletes and creating a level field,” he added.