For once, a positive drug test might be viewed as a good thing.
Today, the University of Saskatchewan
Huskies announced Jordan Arkko, an offensive lineman on the football team, has
been suspended for two years after failing a team-sanctioned drug test. From a
test conducted on March 3, Arkko’s urine sample
revealed the presence of GHRP-2, a non-specified peptide hormone.
The
ban is slated to end on April 25, 2016 and will exhaust Arkko’s eligibility in
Canadian Interuniversity Sport.
When
the Huskies football team held a spring camp in March, it was decided by team
staff and school administration that all players would be tested for drugs to
see if there was a drug problem on the team.
The
Huskies brought in the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport to do the testing.
Head
coach Brian Towriss had stated in the local Saskatoon media that it was
important for the team to be pro-active on this front.
That
testing produced Arkko’s positive result. The Edmonton product was named the
Canada West rookie of the year for the 2011 season.
“As
signatories of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP), Huskie Athletics and
the University of Saskatchewan is disappointed that a student-athlete has
violated the CADP terms and their code of conduct with the University and the
CIS by using a banned substance,” said Huskies athletic director Basil Hughton
in a statement. “The University of Saskatchewan is unequivocally opposed to the
use of any banned substance, performance enhancing drugs or any other illegal
substance.
“We are
dedicated to educating Huskie athletes on anti-doping regulations.”
While
it is obviously sad to discover Arkko tested positive for a banned substance,
it also shows the testing the Huskies players were put under wasn’t a window
dressing exercise.
Towriss,
his staff and the administrators at Huskie Athletics and the University of
Saskatchewan should be credited for making the bold move to test all the
players on the football team.
The
exercise does reinforce the message that the Huskies want to keep their program
clean, and in this case specifically, the football program. You can be certain
athletes for sure on the football team and other sports in the Huskies program
will think twice about using banned substances.
Unfortunately,
the reality is no sports organization will realistically be able to catch everyone
that uses banned substances.
Publicly
in this case, the Huskies have to come out looking good.
If you have any feedback on this blog, feel free to email comments to
stankssports@gmail.com.
