Football: FA defends anti-doping stance

LONDON: England’s Football Association (FA) has defended its anti-doping policy following claims in a television programme that it attempted to play down cases of players who had tested positive for banned drugs. The claims revealed names of several players who have failed drugs tests for cocaine. While the FA stresses that there is no requirement on them to identify those who have failed tests for recreational drugs away from game time, when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs, the player is named.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2011.