by Mike King

NO DRUG-TESTING was conducted at last weekend's national bodybuilding championships, but the National Anti-Doping Commission (NADC) plans to "leave no stone unturned to ensure the full doping process is carried out" before the national team leaves next month for the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Championships in Jamaica.

NADC secretary, Neil Murrell, gave the WEEKEND NATION that assurance yesterday.

"We will aggressively undertake drug-testing over the next few weeks and we will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the full doping process is carried out," he said.

Drug tests will be carried out on all the divisional winners at the 2006 championships that were held on August 19 at the Sherbourne Conference Centre.

Murrell made it clear that there will also be random and target-testing.

For the past few years, drug-testing has been done on the night of the national championships, but financial constraints prevented the Barbados Amateur Bodybuilding Federation (BABBF) from doing so.

"Drug-testing has become mandatory for all national level events and the NADC must carry out its mandate as no bodybuilders will be eligible to go on stage in Jamaica without the necessary clearance.

"Drugs continue to be a menace world-wide in sports with high-profile cases such as Olympic 100-metre gold medallist Justin Gatlin and Tour de France winner Floyd Landis being brought to the fore and the NADC is ensuring that this scourge does not spread to these shores," Murrell added.

Director of the National Sports Council, Erskine King, said that $30 000 had been allocated to the BABBF, but the federation would have to prioritise on how it disburses its funds.

"We know that the $30 000 that has been allocated cannot support the nationals, the CAC Championships, the men's world championships in the Czech Repubic and the world juniors in Italy. It is incumbent on them to prioritise.

"Our budget is not unlimited. There are 59 national associations. We have supported the bodybuilding federation in the past and we will continue to do so," he said.