In numerous sports, there is a rising amount of athletes using prohibited substances to improve their performance. This is due to the high expectations from viewers and the greed for winning prizes in professional sports players. However, regular doping checks and greater penalties might resolve this issue.
One core reason for this is the high expectations from viewers. To clarify, audiences have a high expectations in terms of performance when they watch a professional match. If players performed poorly, his career might be at risk.Therefore, players are determined to utilize banned substances to perform better in matches. Another root cause for this is the greediness for winning prizes among athletes. To further clarify, most tournaments offer a great amount of prizes for the winner. Therefore, professional sports players are willing to do anything to win, including consuming prohibited substances to gain an advantage. For instance, research from Harvard University in 2020 illustrated that most professional golf players used illegal drugs to gain winning prizes.
Giving out stricter penalties to cheaters might be a viable solution. To explain, forcing professional players who used prohibited drugs to either retire or pay a massive fine can set an example for potential cheaters. Therefore, it can decrease the number of cases of consuming illegal drugs. Another valid solution is annual doping tests. Organizers should set up surprise check ups to catch cheaters in action. In addition, sudden drug tests can prevent any illegal drugs from being exerted because athletes are afraid of not being able to hide symptoms of drug usage. For example, many professional drivers confessed to Fox News that doping tests can disqualify cheaters before they enter the grid.
In conclusion, wanting to exceed expectations and greed are the main reasons why this issue occurs. However, tightening regulations and frequent drug tests can resolve this issue.
