Doping Battle May Never Be Won Says WADA Chief

The world's leading anti-drugs enforcers in sport last night admitted that the Commonwealth Games will not be clean and that sport faces a lifelong battle against not only cheats but organised crime.

At a searingly honest conference David Howman, the Director General of WADA, spoke of the constant battle his agency has against those still willing to cheat and the scientists helping athletes to dodge the system, despite WADA having an annual budget of $26 million to fight their cause.

"It would be very dumb of me to say I expect the Commonwealth Games to be clean," said the New Zealander. "Will there be some athletes here in Delhi who get away with it? Probably. After all, Marion Jones (the disgraced US sprinter) competed at the Sydney Olympics full of drugs and only admitted to this seven years' later.

"The fact is that there will always be athletes willing to take a risk, but we musn't forget doping is not just about athletes who cheat. It's about the suppliers and the creators, too. There are many countries where steroids are legal and people can make a great deal of money from supplying athletes with steroids, EPO and human growth hormones. Now we also have to deal with micro-dosing, ther manipulation of samples and testosterone patching.  Nothing surprises me any more. Some athletes will always be stupid and it's something I just don't understand."

Howman added that at the Games, which officially begin today, some 1500 to 2,000 dope tests will be carried out, including every winning medallist, plus a host of random tests taken from the 7,500 athletes competing here in Delhi.

The latest problem, however, is micro-dosing which can evade the system. "Athletes can have taken steroids two months ago and just because there is a negligible amount in them when tested doesn't mean to say they did not cheat weeks' earlier."