Drug testing outside of competition (OCT) is now a fact of life and will continue. It will be supervised and co-ordinated by each sporting body.

OCT was borne and was given the blessing of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in conjunction with most sporting bodies priot to the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Collection agents of the FIH can and will appear wherever a registered player may be to obtain a urine specimen. Blood samples will not be taken.

The urine sample will be sent to an IOC accredited laboratory for analysis under numerical identification. A report will then be submitted to the FIH and later to the relevant national hockey association.

The medical committee’s budget has taken into account the future costs for Out of Competition Testing.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recently set aside a budget to examine many of the popular food supplements. These products, widely used by athletes, do not have their ingredients listed and are not required to do so by law. It has been found that many of these food supplements contain precursors of prohibited/banned substances which are on the IOC list of prohibited substances.

It should be emphasised that all athletes are responsible for whatever food, vitamins and liquid they ingest.

The suggested working guidelines four our physiotherapy sub-committee

have been prepared. The committee will be formed once the new FIH structure is in place.

The Medical Injury form has been updated and a French translation made. An Injury Summary sheet, to be used at tournaments, has been prepared, as has a post-tournament Medical Reporting Form.

A presentation on the state of injury occurrence in our sport

has been made at the request of FIFA and the IOC. There is to be further collaboration on this matter to encourage safety for all participants.

The Medical input for the FIH web-site has been forwarded together with profiles of each committee member.