AT the first official get-together of Jersey’s Commonwealth Games team on Thursday night Island athletes were warned about using performance-enhancing drugs.

The team was meeting ahead of March’s Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

Around 60 people, made up of 35 athletes, ten team managers and other accredited guests and officials, spent three hours at Fort Regent where they played games to get to know each other and learnt a lot about other members of the team.

But they were also given a 90-minute presentation on drugs education and told of the risks associated with using prescribed drugs and also supplement drinks.

Allison Holloway, manager of the UK government and lottery-funded Drug Free Sport department, spoke to all of the athletes and officials about their ’100% Me’ project.

It aims to make stars out of those athletes who reach the very top in their sport without using sport-enhancing drugs or supplements along the way.

‘I have been asked to talk to Jersey’s Commonwealth Games team to make sure that they are fully aware of their responsibilities leading up to the Games.

I explained a lot about testing and how someone can check to see if a substance they are considering using has a banned ingredient in it,’ Holloway explained.

British athletics currently finds about 1.5% of its athletes test positive for using banned substances, while the world average is around 2%.

‘We are working very hard and coming on in leaps and bounds in catching up with those athletes who choose to cheat.

But our role is also to educate athletes about the risks of using everyday medicines, which may contain traces of banned substances,’ she added.

Alan Cross, secretary of the Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey, said: ‘Tonight is all about educating the team but also presents us with an opportunity for the whole team to meet and get to know one another.’ The Drug Free Sport organisation also wishes to train a number of local people so that they can give similar seminars in the future.

Anyone interested, who has either a medical or sporting background, or both, is asked to contact Alan Cross 742254 or across@cgajersey.org.uk.