The opposition’s Second Opening Speech on Doping in sport: “We should permit the use of performance enhancing drugs in sport”
NO!
Ludwig Austermann: Hello, I wish to continue on what my friend Lara just talked about, as there are not just health issues and psychiatric disorders, but also moral barriers we break by using PEDs, which add to our concern. Morality is quite an important point because it is the basic foundation of sport.
The spirit of sport is more than just the physical ability of being fast and strong. It’s about teamwork, mental wellbeing, character development, enjoyment, courage and honesty. It goes against our morality to cheat, be it our friends or competition. People cheat because they think that by this they appear superior, but the truth is: no person is above others, not in sports nor in any other field of public or private life.
Well, it is in fact true that some athletes do better than others and that even a slight genetic difference can have a great impact on an athlete’s performance. Sport is not about fairness in terms of fair, equal, physical and maybe mental dispositions, but about fair play and the athletes' willingness and commitment to achieve their goals with fair means.
Having said that, in my opinion another point is even more important than all the other ones. What do you think would happen if by law I was allowed to take PEDs? You would take them just as I did. And then I would take even more and more. This way every sportsman is forced to use them, no matter if he wants to or not because, then, taking drugs will be the only way to win and break records. A legal but dangerous vicious circle.
There would not be any choice and there would not be any rules guiding us and ultimately we would all be drug addicts playing some senseless games. For all mentioned reasons the World Anti Doping Agency, with its international list of banned substances, was created. We strongly believe that they have a point and that there power and influence must be strengthened.-
November 2015
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