IN the wake of Jamaica’s explosion in world athletics and a few positive doping tests returned by local athletes, University of the West Indies (UWI) and UK-based Leeds Metropolitan University will jointly stage an anti-doping seminar on Saturday, September 18.

The conference, which will be held at the Physiology Lecture Theatre at the Mona Campus in conjunction with the institution’s Faculties of Law and Basic Medical Science as well as the Norman Manley Law School, was launched at the Spanish Court Hotel yesterday.

Dr Rachael Irving, who conceptualised the event, told the Observer it was “timely” and in line with what other tertiary institutions around the world are doing to sensitise people to anti-doping.

“Eyes are watching us; we have to be careful,” Irving said.

Jamaica, one of the five most tested countries in 2008, had eight of its athletes returning positive drugs tests over the past year, with all — barring two — receiving bans.

Christopher Williams, Bobbie-Gaye Wilkins, Yohan Blake, Lancford Spence, Marvin Anderson and all Allodin Fothergill received censures, while Sheri-Ann Brooks was cleared and Shelly Ann Fraser currently awaits her fate.

“Innocent ingestion is not acceptable and we’re liable to be sanctioned,” Dr Irving added.

The seminar will focus on sensitising key players on doping rules; providing an overview of the arbitration process; examining the nutritional requirements, and providing an overview of the supplement industry.

Among the guest speakers will be former WADA principal investigator and anti-doping specialist, Dr Susan Backhouse, and local anti-doping specialists Dr Warren Blake and Dr Herb Elliott.

However, there seems to be some confusion as to whether the seminar is being sanctioned by local anti-doping body, the Jamaica Anti-doping Commission (JADCo).

While Irving specifically stated upon being questioned at yesterday’s press conference that the event was being sanctioned by both JADCo and WADA, executive director of JADCo, Dr Patrece Charles-Freeman, later told the Observer she only learnt about the seminar yesterday via a telephone conversion with Irving.

“JADCo has nothing to do with this workshop,” Charles-Freeman stated.

“I just need to make sure (to say that) because I don’t want to be held responsible for what happens at the workshop,” she said.

However, Irving said the seminar was an academic one and did not need the approval of JADCo, but they were invited as a courtesy.

“It’s an academic thing,” she said. “They don’t have to endorse it, but out of principle, we invited them. We’re not troubling JADCo in terms of their role,” she added.

Irving also refuted Dr Charles-Freeman’s statement and said she had a trace of e-mail messages in which she had invited the former to the seminar.