JADCO’s quiz brings clean sport message to students

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

Choices

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 STAR Sports 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.

Second-place finish

Lajey Powell of Roger Clarke 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 STAR Sports.

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

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