footballers were among 150 sports stars
prescribed banned performance-enhancing drugs, a London doctor claimed
in an expose by The Sunday Times.
The newspaper, which has been at the heart of several doping exposes
involving international athletics over the last 12 months, conducted an
undercover operation on London-based anti-ageing doctor Mark Bonar.
The 38-year-old medic claims to have had a network of “secret
clients” which included footballers from Arsenal, Chelsea and Leicester
City.
The broadsheet said Bonar named athletes from several different
sports. Those contacted by the paper either denied being treated by him
or declined to comment.
The newspaper was quick to add they have no independent evidence that he treated the unnamed players.
There is also no evidence the clubs were aware of Bonar’s relationship with any players or drug use by them.
Bonar,
who was filmed covertly, is heard telling reporters he had also worked
with an England cricketer, British Tour de France cyclists, a British
boxing champion, tennis players and martial arts competitors.
“In the past six years he has treated more than 150 sports people
from the UK and abroad variously with banned substances such as
erythropoietin (EPO), steroids and human growth hormone, and the sports
performance improvements were phenomenal,” the report said.
UKAD aware of doctor
In the newspaper’s footage, Bonar is filmed saying: “Some of these treatments I use are banned on the professional circuit.
“It’s how you do it,” he said, adding: “You want to do it off cycle or between races.
“The truth of the matter is drugs are in sport.
“What I do is I prescribe responsibly and I try to keep my patients the optimum level of normal.”
UK
Anti-Doping (UKAD), the agency responsible for protecting British sport
from drug abuse, confirmed they were aware of Bonar, but said they had
no power to investigate him.
UKAD said it interviewed a sportsman in April and May 2014 who,
in hoping to reduce his sanction, provided them with more than 100
names, 69 of which related to sport.
Bonar was among the names and this was the only time he had been brought to their attention, it said.
The
sportsman told UKAD that Bonar prescribed him with EPO and testosterone
and alleged he was providing performance-enhancing drugs to an unnamed
boxer.
UKAD said they went back to the sportsman, but he did not provide further evidence that could substantiate such claims.
UKAD said it could only investigate athletes and their entourage (including medics) who fall under a sporting governing body.
“UKAD commenced an investigation into Dr Bonar”, but found he was not governed by a sport”, it said.
It said the General Medical Council (GMC), which controls the
register of doctors, could investigate possible medical malpractice but
after assessing the information it had, UKAD said it did not believe
there were grounds to refer the case.
The GMC said the allegations were serious and it would investigate them “as a matter of urgency”.
Probe launched
Bonar told the reporters that athletes knew about his services through word of mouth.
“I don’t really advertise... I don’t want that media scrutiny, that kind of (thing), you know, coming down on you,” he said.
In response to the expose, Bonar said it was irrelevant that some of his clients were professional athletes.
“If they have proven deficiencies on blood work and are symptomatic, I will treat them,” he said.
“I
do not ‘dope’ or treat patients for the sole purpose of performance
enhancement even though these treatments may enhance performance as a
secondary effect.”
Britain’s sports minister John Whittingdale said he was “shocked”
by the allegations and has demanded an urgent independent
investigation.
“Sports fans are entitled to be sure that what they
are watching is true and fair with all athletes competing on a level
playing field,” the culture, media and sport secretary said in a
statement.
“The government is already looking at whether existing
legislation in this area goes far enough... If it becomes clear that
stronger criminal sanctions are needed then we will not hesitate to
act.”
UKAD chair David Kenworthy said an independent review would be
conducted into issues raised by the newspaper allegations, including the
way the sportsman’s information was handled.
UKAD chief executive Nicole Sapstead said the body was “deeply concerned” by the allegations in The Sunday Times.
“UKAD
will vehemently pursue any avenue that indicates that an athlete is
doping or support personnel are assisting them,” she said.S
