How clean is snooker?

[samasnookerfan]

Wasn't O'Sullivan taking beta blockers during the 2004 worlds. I'm not entirely sure, doe's anyone else know if he was?

[Maija]

i'm not sure what Neal did but i think he should have pursued the case with the WSA

There are doctors who prescribe marijuana for certain eye diseases, and patiens suffering from ADHD receive a coke-like substance. Should these patients also be allowed to compete?

[Sam147]

There are doctors who prescribe marijuana for certain eye diseases, and patiens suffering from ADHD receive a coke-like substance. Should these patients also be allowed to compete?

well, the WADA rules say that if there is no alternative mode of therapy, then the player is allowed to compete... not sure what eye disease is treated by marijhuana but Anti-Diuretic Hormone Deficiency (ADHD) has other modes of therapy for sure, so i believe in that case, the patients in question would not be allowed to compete

PS: Maija, u've always been an encyclopedia of information

[Black_cat]

Wasn't O'Sullivan taking beta blockers during the 2004 worlds. I'm not entirely sure, doe's anyone else know if he was?

This is the first time I have heard about such a thing and this comes from a die-hard fan of Ronnie's, who's done her homework about her favourite player.
So, does anyone have any kind of information to prove or refute this? It's quite serious a question.
The only player connected to beta-blockers is, as far as I know, Bill Werbeniuk.

[rodmac]

Yes reckless shot selection could be a problem. But a confident relaxed approach and positive striking of the ball could actually see those reckless shots coming off as planned.

The only instance of alleged cocaine use during a pro snooker match that I'm aware of was between Kirk Stevens and Silvino Francisco. If I remember correctly, Stevens was not only flying in a snoker sense, and Francisco accused him of being high as a kite.

I was just reading about Cliff Thorburn in Wikipedia, and it says he was fined £10,000 by World Snooker for using cocaine in 1989. Wikipedia is notoriously inaccurate but I suppose this fact was well publicized at the time. I wasn't following snooker then. It's always disappointing to me to hear about drug abuse in sports (or drug abuse at all really). And from what I've heard, it's been prevalent among more than a few of the great US "money" pool players who travel from city to city and state to state playing money games and get into drugs (and or alcohol) often to push themselves physically and or mentally just to keep going night after night.

[MrRottweiler]

I can tell someone who often uses recreational drugs from their appearance and mannerisms. Sunken eyes, pale and gaunt features and uncharacteristic and erratice behaviour are all examples. As are the positive blood tests! I've always thought that as a paid member to the WPBSA (or whoever it is now) you can be tested in the middle of the night or on holiday or any time they like at least once a year. I think it should be like that as well for any professional sportsporson. Fish them out and expose them.

[hegeland]

Billiards sports is a very un-clean sector in general, and I suspect WSA has covered up things on more than one occasion.

http://www.wada-ama.org/rtecontent/d...STATS_2005.pdf

I think Dott uses anabolic steriods, for medical purposes! Sorry, couldn't resist, this is a serious subject.

[Ekphantos]

Hm, quite a high percentage compared to other sports in that table. I wonder why and what substances the found. Would also be interesting to know how many of these were for therapeutical use.

[Monique]

I also wonder which of the "Billiard games" are most affected. Is there a link between the amount of money at stake (pool in the US?) and the use of drugs?

[calebk]

efren reyes, arguably the greatest pool player of all time, says he plays money games all night on adrenaline.....i highly doubt he takes drugs....and i would say that pool is probably the most affected although im not sure .....i just dont see how taking drugs is beneficial in any form of billiards

[Monique]

I'd say beta-blockers: they decrease your heartbeat rate and increase your concentration. Golf players tend to use them. Otherwise? ... Things that increase vigilance? Anti-anxiolytics? This was already mentioned but cannabis would be rather counter-productive

[calebk]

wow do beta blockers do any long term damage?? i could use some of that stuff
actually maybe not....im only 17...got lots of pool playing days ahead of me

[Sam147]

i just dont see how taking drugs is beneficial in any form of billiards

some of those who get caught may not have taken a drug for its beneficial effects, but rather for leisure or kicks... they so get caught in the process when having to take a drug test with enough concentration still in their organism!!!

[hegeland]

Well the stats form WADA don't lie and cue sports is an area where doping is highly efficient IMO.

I would say, as the WSA Main Tour is probably the most lucrative place to be in any cue sport, that using beta blockers and such is not uncommon, though as WSA is quite a closed club the insight is not the best so we really can't know.

[Monique]

Very true Sam. Cannabis can still be detected after nearly 4 weeks in some cases. And some medications can give a false positive, also.