Doping Headlines In 2005 Didn't Include Woman's Softball – As Always
In a year when the sports media had a large number of doping stories to report on, none of them included women’s international softball. The sport’s world governing body, the International Softball Federation (ISF), points out that it is a model citizen in the Olympic family, having NEVER had a positive doping case in women’s international softball since testing began in 1982.
“We’re proud of not only our track record in this area, but proud of our athletes,” said ISF President Don Porter. “While other sports dealt with one, two, three, or some other number of positive doping cases in 2005 alone, we’ve never had any in 23 years of testing women at our events. We fully intend on staying on this course in 2006, especially with our Women’s World Championship taking place this year (August in Beijing).”
The ISF has been proactive in its anti-doping efforts, led by ISF Chief Medical Officer Robert Terrell, M.D. He has an article in the January-April 2006 issue of the ISF’s World Softball magazine. In the piece Dr. Terrell notes the ISF’s continued cooperation with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
“As apparent in other sports, doping appears to improve statistics and extend careers, however the drive and determination alone of the Olympic softball athletes can also accomplish these goals,” Dr. Terrell writes.
The ISF has a Doping/Medical Commission, which most recently convened at the world governing body’s XXII Congress, October 27-31 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where it was Chaired by Dr. Fernando Jorge Aren (Argentina).
While 2005 didn’t see any positive doping cases in women’s international softball, it did see the launch of a new ISF website (http://www.internationalsoftball.com/), featuring an entire section on anti-doping.
The ISF is the world governing body of the sport as recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). Softball (women's fast pitch) made its Olympic debut at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. There are 127 affiliated countries in the ISF and millions of participants in the sport worldwide.
MEDIA: For more information, please contact ISF Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak at brucew@internationalsoftball.com, (1.813) 864 0100, ext. 229, or (1.813) 453 8762 (cell).
“We’re proud of not only our track record in this area, but proud of our athletes,” said ISF President Don Porter. “While other sports dealt with one, two, three, or some other number of positive doping cases in 2005 alone, we’ve never had any in 23 years of testing women at our events. We fully intend on staying on this course in 2006, especially with our Women’s World Championship taking place this year (August in Beijing).”
The ISF has been proactive in its anti-doping efforts, led by ISF Chief Medical Officer Robert Terrell, M.D. He has an article in the January-April 2006 issue of the ISF’s World Softball magazine. In the piece Dr. Terrell notes the ISF’s continued cooperation with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
“As apparent in other sports, doping appears to improve statistics and extend careers, however the drive and determination alone of the Olympic softball athletes can also accomplish these goals,” Dr. Terrell writes.
The ISF has a Doping/Medical Commission, which most recently convened at the world governing body’s XXII Congress, October 27-31 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where it was Chaired by Dr. Fernando Jorge Aren (Argentina).
While 2005 didn’t see any positive doping cases in women’s international softball, it did see the launch of a new ISF website (http://www.internationalsoftball.com/), featuring an entire section on anti-doping.
The ISF is the world governing body of the sport as recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). Softball (women's fast pitch) made its Olympic debut at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. There are 127 affiliated countries in the ISF and millions of participants in the sport worldwide.
MEDIA: For more information, please contact ISF Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak at brucew@internationalsoftball.com, (1.813) 864 0100, ext. 229, or (1.813) 453 8762 (cell).