---

Seven sporting bodies are close to being stripped of all financing and use of Government facilities if they don't meet next month's drug testing deadlines.

And if they still don't cooperate they could be stripped of governing body status as they jeopardize all of Bermuda's sports from being able to play internationally.

The sporting groups have to meet the World Anti-Doping Association's new rules that went into effect this year. The Bermuda Council for Drug-Free Sport will end its amnesty to these groups on March 31.

If one sport in Bermuda isn't compliant, then all sports face an international ban.

Cathy Belvedere, programe administrator for the BCDS, said: "There are still several sports that are not quite there. We are trying to work with them. All in all...most sports are where they need to be."

She added: "We have been actively working with the ones who aren't. They're actively having us come out and meet with their executive and with their athletes to help them understand. In Bermuda we're so complacent and we think the rest of the rules don't apply to us because we're Bermuda and we're special and we can work around them. It's been kind of jarring to some people to understand that you can't do this any more. Effective January first, the rules are the rules.

"The ministry have been very supportive."

She said there are consequences to the national governing bodies who are not compliant.

"One is they lose their funding; the second is they lose their ability to use Government facilities; the third and ultimate is that Government can strip them as the national governing body for that sport."

She said six or seven groups have yet to comply out of the 30 plus national governing bodies.

Belvedere added that some of the things that are missing are overall membership lists and the 24/7 whereabouts info for their elite athletes.

She said so far around 125 to 150 athletes are in the 24-hour notice test pool - that is they have to let the BCDS know where they are 24/7 just in case they are called for a random drug test as per international rules. All 150 athletes will be randomly tested at least once in 2009.

"That's a significant change because last year it was just 50 per cent of the pool had to be tested at least once," she said.

Belvedere added that Friday's Budget should be generous as they should see a half million dollar increase in funds to $700,000 to help meet the WADA code.

"That's what we were looking for, ...but that's still subject to Friday. We'll have better confirmation at that point."

That added money will help the BCDS conduct more drug tests and hire more people to help take drug tests.

[[In-content Ad]]

---