WASHINGTON - National Basketball Association commissioner David Stern will testify next Thursday before a US House of Representatives Government Reform Committee looking into steroids in American sports.
The hearing will be the third in as many months by the panel as it looks into passage of a law imposing World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) drug testing standards upon American professional sports leagues.
Stern will be asked for details on the NBA's doping test program following a contentious March visit by Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig and an April session with National Football League commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
Tagliabue and Selig were opposed to oversight of their testing programs, saying their leagues were in the best position to safeguard their sport.
But both programs had weaknesses that could allow for cheating by competitors and baseball's presentation drew outrage from lawmakers for having fines rather than mandatory bans, a loophole since closed.
American sports leagues punishments for steroids are far shy of the two-year WADA ban for first offenses and life bans for repeaters, with bosses claiming the lost income for quarter-seasons or less provides enough motivation for millionaire athletes not to cheat.
Congressmen are dubious of that notion, to say the least.
An increase in steroid taking by American youth has prompted the concern and threat of action from lawmakers, who see role models sending a dangerous message and loopholes in catching dope cheats as an invitation to abuses.
Just Wednesday, American boxer James Toney was found to have tested positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone and forced to forfeit the World Boxing Association crown he won by unanimous decision from John Ruiz on April 30.
Also Wednesday, an American football player was found to have a device designed to produce clean urine samples. The "Original Whizzinator" included a prosthetic false penis with a water bag attachment plus vials of dried urine.
05/12/2005 18:24 GMT