Unit 7 Final Assignment Paper and Powerpoint

The usage of performance-enhancement drugs (PEDs) by superstar professional athletes and others continues to attract a lot of debate as a critical issue in sports values and ethics. Generally, PEDs such as doping substances is considered unethical and unhealthy for the athletes, the sports industry, and the society. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is an internationally sports management and administration funded by the member-states, and which is responsible for the prevention of PEDs usage by athletes. In this paper, I will discuss the impacts of sports finance and budgeting in sports organizations, using the case of WADA.

The current world Anti-doping Code developed by WADA takes a tough approach to doping. WADA has for various occasions justified the approach by mainly advancing two justificatory arguments that the ‘‘protection of the spirit of sport warrants tough measures and, second, that athletes have voluntarily consented to the Code’’ (Geeraets, 2018). Athletes who have been determined to be guilty for first-time doping can be suspended for up to four years instead of the initial two years, and that the agency now relies on strict and vicarious liability standards. Based on the spirit of sport, there are about three criteria that the agency is committed to. The first criterion is the medical or related scientific evidence that the drug or method can produce the pharmacological effect or experience that can potentially enhance sports performance. Secondly, it also relies on the medical or related scientific evidence that the use of the substance or method represents a potential or actual health risk to the athlete. Then final criteria are based on the agency’s commitment to its determination that the substance or method’s usage violates the sports’ spirits as per the description provided in the introduction to the Code.

The spirit of the sport concerns health, ethics, fair play, and honesty, teamwork, character and education, excellence in performance, dedication and commitment, fun and joy, courage, respect for self and other participants, respect for rules and laws, community an solidarity, etc. However, based on the contemporary circumstances marked by an constant and exponential rise in doping and PEDs use cases by a burgeoning number of athletes and financial and budgetary constraints, the social reality is that WADA can only create a façade of justice rather than serving it (Geeraets, 2018). WADA needs a lot of funds to finance its activities, from testing and screening of samples, research and development activities, investigations, litigations, enforcements, etc. Generally, WADA relies on funding from its members, and the unwillingness of some of its stakeholders to provide sufficient funding of the national anti-doping organizations (NADO) has significantly paralyzed their activities. Thus, the organization has started looking for new sources of funding from the sports industry such as betting companies and commercial sponsors instead of solely relying on national governments and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) (Homewood, 2012; Grohmann, 2019). Additionally, the agency have also in the past contemplated on including tougher measures against stakeholders who have failed to fulfill their financial obligations to WADA (Sportcal, 2003).

Thus, any sports organization and agency, including WADA, needs good funding and financial practices for its practices to thrive. For instance, due to its scope and nature, the fight against PEDs usage needs huge funding to ensure its success. In the case of WADA, more money and effective budgeting has often led to more tests, increased detection, more funding for research and development practices, etc. (Moller, 2017). The outcome would be good sports free from PEDs. However, since the agency is experiencing gross financial constraints, it has not been effective in funding its operations. The result is the burgeoning number of undetected PEDs cases, and other unethical sports practices.

References Geeraets, V. (2018). Ideology, Doping and the Spirit of Sport. Journal of Sports, Ethics and Philosophy, 12(3). Grohmann, K. (2019, November 5). WADA To Ask Commercial Sponsors For Money In Anti-Doping Fight. Retrieved January 29, 2020, from Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sport-doping-wada-sponsors-idUSKBN1XF1IZ Homewood, B. (2012, February 7). Financial Constraints And Complacency Worry WADA. Retrieved October 29, 2020, from Reuters: https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-doping-finance/financial-constraints-and-complacency-worry-wada-idUKTRE8161CZ20120207 Moller, C. M. (2017, January 12). More Money – Better Anti-Doping? Retrieved October 29, 2020, from The Sports Integrity Initiative: https://www.sportsintegrityinitiative.com/money-better-anti-doping/ Sportcal. (2003, September 9). Press Releases: WADA Executive Committee to Discuss Future Role . Retrieved October 29, 2020, from Sportcal: https://www.sportcal.com/News/PressReleases/98857?size=50%2C50