A statement from UKAD’s Athlete Commission on the Enhanced Games

As a handful of athletes, including a British athlete, are now suggesting they will participate in the Enhanced Games, the Athlete Commission of UK Anti-Doping raise their voices to air their grave concerns. 

We, as the UKAD Athlete Commission, strongly condemn the Enhanced Games.  

The games represent a reckless departure from what sport is all about, and its fundamental values of fairness and integrity. Elite athletes master their sport through years of hard work, and dedication. These are the role models that we want to inspire the next generation. 100% clean, 100% true.    

We also have great concerns about the health and safety of the athletes involved. Whilst the Enhanced Games claim to champion the safety of the athletes, there are notable risks around taking a variety of performance enhancing drugs, which could have severe consequences on athletes’ short- and long-term health.    

Ultimately, we believe that celebrating performances achieved through doping goes against everything the world of sport should be striving for. Sporting performance on the world stage should serve to inspire the next generation, and our fear is that this competition will intimidate, demotivate and in effect turn away potential athletes of the future who may think the only way to succeed is through cheating. This could damage the integrity of world sport irrevocably.   

Chair of the UKAD Athlete Commission, Ama Agbeze MBE, former England Netball International, added:     

“As athletes we receive anti-doping education that highlights the huge implications taking performance enhancing drugs can have on your health, safety and career, so it’s very disappointing that despite having this awareness, some athletes are still choosing to participate in this competition. I hope that all clean athletes will continue to focus on protecting the integrity of their sport, strive to always be positive role models for the next generation, and condemn the Enhanced Games.”