Women’s World Cup 2011: North Korean Soccer Players Fail Doping Tests
At the Women’s World Cup 2011 in Germany, five North Korean soccer players have failed doping tests carried out by FIFA.
Two players, Jong Sun Song and Sim Pok Jong, from North Korea were originally found to have failed the anti-doping test before their teams match against Colombia on the 6th July. The tests had been taken after their previous matches at the Women’s World Cup 2011.
They were both suspended immediately and the findings then triggered testing of the entire North Korean side. Since then 3 more of their players have failed the doping tests taken after the match against Colombia.
It is understood that they were found to have traces of a banned anabolic steroid although FIFA will not publish any more details, including names, until tests of their “B” samples have been carried out.
Their is enormous pressure in any sport to gain a competitive advantage and Women’s soccer is no exception, it may not be as big as the men’s game (yet) but the pressure is still enormous.
For a team run by a obsessive Dictator with a point to prove and a population to control, one can only guess at what goes on behind the scenes.
Every aspect of North Korea’s interaction with the outside world is controlled and contrived by the regime as much as possible, that includes sport.
There has also been another player who has failed the doping tests carried out at the Women’s World Cup 2011.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee provisionally suspended the Colombian player, Yineth Varon, after she failed a doping test in Leverkusen on 25 June 2011.
Varon asked for analysis of her “B” sample to also be carried out which backed up the original findings. Disciplinary proceedings were started and are still pending.
With the Women’s World Cup 2011 Final being played this Sunday between Japan and USA, it is not the headlines that the competition needed. The play-off for 3rd place also takes place today between Sweden and France.
The last big doping scandal at a World Cup was that of Maradona in 1994 when he was suspended mid-tournament.
On that occasion, after he ran up to the camera after scoring, you didn’t need to do any doping tests to realise that he was feeding himself more than just pasta. Anyone watching could have told you that.
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