Forty sports students at City College Norwich now have a qualification in anti-doping.

The group successfully completed UK Anti-Doping’s accredited adviser course alongside their college studies. They covered what doping is, the value of clean sport, and how sport performance can be enhanced safely and legally through a healthy diet and the right nutrition.

Typically anti-doping isn’t covered on sports courses until degree level, but tutors at the college are keen for their aspiring sports coaches to take the course for a head start in their career.

“We are training aspiring sports practitioners who will go on to work with sportspeople who might have been tempted to try performance enhancing substances,” said Jason Fligg, a sports science lecturer.

“By taking this qualification, these students can play their part in promoting clean sport – reducing the health risks to athletes and supporting the integrity of competitive sport.”

“The course has shown me how easy it is for people to get stuck into the trap of using performance enhancing drugs,” added Ben Brighton, a level three sports and exercise science student. “It happens a lot more than we realise.”