What are the ethical issues in sport related to doping and how are they addressed internationally?

• A. Doping is unrelated to ethics; addressed by scoreboard ranking.
• B. Doping is allowed in some sports; governed by clubs only.
• C. Doping improves fairness; encouraged by coaches; no testing.
• D. Doping undermines fairness; addressed by anti-doping agencies like WADA and codes of conduct; testing and sanctions.

Answer: (D)

Doping creates ethical problems because it breaks fair play, can threaten the health of athletes, and undermines trust in sport. Internationally, this is tackled by a unified anti-doping framework led by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which runs the World Anti-Doping Code. The code sets out prohibited substances and methods and standardizes rules across sports so everyone follows the same standards. Athletes are subjected to testing both during competition and outside of it, with a system that requires them to be available for testing and to provide accurate whereabouts information. Violations result in sanctions such as bans or disqualification, helping to keep the playing field level and protect athletes’ health. National anti-doping organizations carry out the code locally, and athletes can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if needed. In short, doping undermines fairness, and international bodies address it through codes, testing, and sanctions.