A TOTAL OF 109 players at an Under-17 World Cup in Mexico failed drug tests, after traces of the banned anabolic agent clenbuterol were found in their system.
And despite 19 of the 24 teams containing players who failed the test, FIFA medical officer Jiri Dvorak claimed there was no evidence of foul play. He said that it was “not a problem of doping, but a problem of public health”.
No charges were made by FIFA or the World Anti-Doping Agency, with suspicions that their food had been contaminated, as the country is known to have issues with giving banned steroids to livestock.
Players have now been warned to only eat in designated cafeterias, while all Mexico’s players tested negative for the drug, as they switched to a diet of fish and vegetables before the tournament began.
Mexican authorities are now considering arresting farmers and shutting down slaughterhouses in a bid to stem this problem.
