“Can I sit here and say there is going to be a... clean Commonwealth Games? That would be very dumb of me to do that,” WADA Director General David Howman told reporters in Delhi on Saturday.
“What I can do is say that the anti-doping program here will be a good one. Will there be athletes here who have got away with it? Possibly.”
The lead up to the Games has been marred by security issues, athlete withdrawals and concerns over the cleanliness of venues and accommodation, and organizers will be hoping they do not have the additional headache of a high-profile doping case.
Howman, however, said it was inevitable that scenario would arise.
“I don’t think we are ever going to find a situation where we find a non-athlete-cheating society, there is always going to be somebody who wants to take the risk,” the New Zealander added.
“We have had many examples of what I would say athletes who have been a little stupid because they know there is going to be a full testing program at events like this and yet they still take the risk.
“I don’t understand it... it is just one of things that people do, take risks where they think they are going to get away from it, when they don't.”
Howman said there would be at least 1,500 tests carried out on the 7000 competitors taking part during the Oct. 3-14th event but pointed out that education was also key to driving out the problem of drug taking.
“Science can only do so much...there are other things that have to be done including education and changing the culture in some sports so the work is never finished.
“I think in some parts of the Commonwealth there are areas where there is not enough information giving to the athletes, there is not enough information given to the coaches, the trainers, the doctors and anyone else in the athletes entourage.”
However, Howman stopped short of saying that it could be an excuse for some athletes to say they weren’t aware and that there is a WADA program available at the athletes village in Delhi.
“I think most athletes will have someone in their entourage who knows about cheating (so) I don’t buy that (they didn’t know).
“They can get information from the Commonwealth Games federation, the organizing committee and so on.”
