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▒ Category
[Awards Review]
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▶ Korean Soccer Players to Avoid Use of Health Restoratives
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[2002/03/23 ]
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La Manga, Spain, March 22 (Yonhap) -- Korean players training in La Manga, Spain, have been warned to avoid unnecessary use of 'boyak,' a traditional health restorative, sources following the team said Friday.
The measures come in the wake of rising concerns in the professional soccer community over toughened measures by its governing body FIFA to ferret use of chemical substances.
The squad's medical staff have said that even though boyak, a cocktail of herbs and common medicines, contains no banned substances, some ingredients might trigger a positive reading under new guidelines.
They, in particular, are worried about cold medicine to relieve bronchial discomfort because they might contain erythropoeitins (EPOs), which are banned.
FIFA, following the Team Workshop held earlier this month in Tokyo, announced that it might take random blood samples as well as urine tests of two players per team to check for anabolic steroids and insulin. The new guidelines also apply to teams competing in friendly A-matches as well as official tournament matches.
This could apply to the food players eat, and the team's support staff have been told to avoid preparing 'exotic' dishes not normally served. Players have also been given lectures on what foods and medicines they must avoid.
The team's managers have said that once taken, most of the banned substances can last in the body for 4-6 weeks, and if the player is tested for doping in this period he could face serious consequences.
Under FIFA regulations a player found to have used illegal drugs can be subject to a formal reprimand that includes fines, and future restrictions on games the player can participate in. The regulations apply to all players in the final lineup regardless of whether he played in the game.
FIFA, however, does not take the position that the discovery of substance abuse affects the overall results of the game itself.
On the other hand, Korea Football Association (KFA) officials said most of the boyak ingested by players would not cause problems and since the sudden halt to taking the tonics could adversely affect performance, they are not encouraging their disuse. However, the officials emphasize that players should not try additional restoratives.
FIFA does grant exceptions to the doping rule if the team officially notifies it that a player will be using a certain substance for medicinal purposes.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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