Alert – The crisis of ‘prevalent’ drug taking that has hit the rural Highlands sport of Shinty – but STILL players are not being tested

Shinty players are still not being drug tested, despite the sport’s chiefs vowing to tackle concerns more than a year ago.

Fears were raised over players abusing recreational drugs, such as cocaine and amphetamines.

The Camanachd Association, the sport’s ruling body, approached the UK Anti-Doping agency (UKAD) to carry out random ­testing. 

However, there have been ­concerns over cost and the time required. Documents show shinty bosses didn’t think widespread ­testing was ‘value for money’.

Currently, the international squad can be tested after games but ­amateur players don’t have the same monitoring.

Yet records show not a ­single test has been ­carried out by UKAD on any shinty players, at international or club level.

Aarron Duncan-MacLeod of the Camanachd Association said of the drugs issue: ‘We know it’s prevalent because we’re told it’s prevalent. 

‘We have signed up to the UK anti-doping charter, which means that any of our athletes can be tested. We have committed to doing that for our internationalists, because that is more manageable.’

­Minutes from a 2023 board meeting show bosses discussed a wider roll-out. However, Derek Keir, ­former Camanachd Association chief executive, cautioned against it, ­raising the £540 cost of each test.

The documents state: ‘Derek Keir noted caution as it is a professional approach for amateur ­athletes. Although understanding the rationale, he was not sure if it was fit for purpose for sports like shinty.’

It added that Mr Keir thought that paying for testing over and above the international team ‘may not be value for money’.

In 2022 some clubs had already decided to do their own in-club testing due to influence from sponsors, often local businesses.

Yvonne Marshall, captain of ­Glenurquhart women’s shinty club, said: ‘There are a few individual players who act irresponsibly. I know younger players are going to be around these adults and it makes me sad to think of it being some kind of initiation into bad habits.’

The Scottish Government and Sportscotland have been approached for comment.