The Dark Shadow Shrine

embrace the darkness; that you may see the light nestled within it......

Wednesday, March 09, 2016

Tennis: Sponsors ditch Maria Sharapova after revelation of failed drug test

Click HERE
Barring further developments of Sharapova being deliberately dishonest, I see her case as similar to Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei. In both cases, they are found to have taken banned substances. But there are mitigating factors we can use for rebuttal. They took the banned substances for health reasons without realising it was on the banned list (Lee Chong Wei took it due to a shoulder injury or something), and it was an innocent oversight on their part as the list of banned substances include stuff that can be found in many ordinary things out there (i.e. you won't realise unless you check very carefully ).....
This is arguably a different category from those of the likes of Ben Johnson, Marion Jones and Lance Armstrong, who took banned substances knowingly, with the full knowledge and intention that it will help enhance their sporting performance.

For sports issues concerning athletes taking drugs, you can thus argue that the statistics does not mean that all of them are due to a lack of morals and sportsmanship. 

Of course, for those who do not support Sharapova, she joins the ranks of Lance Armstrong as an example of celebrities who are not good role models and do not deserve the benefits (esp financial ones) that are enjoyed by celebrities.

Qn: To what extent should celebrities be treated differently?