Doping Practices, Knowledge of Anti-Doping Control and Roles of Physical Education Teachers in Anti-Doping Education

Abstract

The role of coaches in promoting anti-doping education among athletes is well researched in the western world. The present study examined the role of Physical Education (P.E.) teachers in anti-doping education in Ghana under doping practices, knowledge of anti-doping control and the importance of doping education in training programmes among student-athletes. Semi-structured interviews involving eleven P.E. teachers aged 31-46 who coached all the sporting disciplines in Senior High Schools-football, handball, netball, hockey, volleyball, table tennis, badminton and athletics were conducted. Based on the preliminary results, additional information was requested from 10 student-athletes on the use of doping products and the harmful effects. The interviews were transcribed, and the data were analysed thematically. The findings revealed that although coaches and athletes are aware of the effects of doping, the effort to promote anti-doping education have been met with resistance as students claimed P.E. teachers are not health professionals. To be recognised as the best, P.E. teachers were also found culpable of aiding students to use banned performance-enhancing drugs during competitions. A worrying picture of the present study is the sale of drugs to people especially the youths without prescriptions. This has not led only to loss of lives, but to an increase in doping cases, as students can easily have access to drugs that can be used in doping. The present study proposes recommendations and suggestions to the political stakeholder, based on its findings.