Sport Management Journal

Perceptions and Knowledge about Doping Among Disabled Elite Athletes of Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Mohammad Sadegh zaeifi 1
Ismaeil sharifian 2
Amirhesam Rahimi 1

1 Department of Sports Management and Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

2 Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Sport Management, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22059/jsm.2023.363319.3183
Abstract
Introduction: The present study investigated the perceptions and knowledge related to doping among elite disabled athletes of Iran.
Methods: The research method used in this study was qualitative (thematic analysis) and exploratory in nature, and was conducted in a field setting. Participants in the study (16 individuals) were elite disabled athletes who were members of the national team and had experience in Paralympic competitions. These participants were selected using purposive sampling and snowball sampling techniques until theoretical saturation was reached. The data collection tool was a semi-structured interview, and the data obtained from the interviews were analyzed using coding techniques. The validity and reliability of the interviews were assessed using established methods.
Results: The results of the study led to the identification of 21 factors, including cheating in classification and ineffective systems in the management factor, financial problems, lack of self-confidence and information in the personal factor, and coach ignorance and doping drugs in the environmental factor, in the perceptions and knowledge related to doping among elite disabled athletes.
Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the management, personal, and environmental factors have a significant impact on the perceptions and knowledge related to doping among disabled athletes. Therefore, it is recommended that managers and officials plan to prevent doping among disabled athletes and improve their understanding of the disadvantages of this phenomenon based on the above results.

Keywords

Athletes
Disabled
Doping
Knowledge
Perceptions
Subjects
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Sport Management Journal
Volume 17, Issue 1
Spring 2025
Pages 100-86

  • Receive Date 16 August 2023
  • Revise Date 08 October 2023
  • Accept Date 17 October 2023

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