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Anil helps NCC to innings victory A devastating spell of seam bowling by Anil Ridigammanagedara assisted NCC, to trounce Kurunegala YCC by an innings and 257 runs in their under - 23 cricket fixture concluded at Maitland Place yesterday. After posting a huge first innings score of 402 for three wickets declared, NCC's right arm seamer Ridigammanagedara put the skids on the visitors by accounting four wickets in each inning. KYCC resuming the day from their overnight score of 20 for the loss of three wickets, were bundled out for just 70 runs. Ridigammanagedara claiming for wickets while skipper Hewage helping him with two wickets. Forced to follow on KYCC failed put up a decent score and again were skittled out for 75 runs. Ridigammanagedara had four wickets while R. Herath and M. Bandara captured two and three wickets respectively. Four half centuries by CCC top order batsmen help them gain first innings points over Galle CC in their Under - 23 Cricket encounter at Maitland Crescent yesterday. After bowling out Galle CC for 236 in their first essay, CCC batsmen went on to pile up a mammoth total of 399. D. Hunukumbura (93), B. Ediriweera (71), A. Polonnovita (92) and H. Boteju (57), helped them to build this huge first innings score. Scores: Scores: CCC 399 (D. Hunukumbura 93, B. Ediriweera, 71, A. Polonnovita 92, H. Boteju 57, J. Siriwardena 34) (AN) Junior Tennis National Championships now in progress at SLTA Counts saw three walk overs given away on Saturday in U-10 and Under 16 age groups. In the Under 16 Boys event Rukshan Rodriguesz was stretched to a three setter by Sumith de Silva. Rukshan who won the first set comfortably 3-6 went down fighting in the last two sets losing 6-2, 6-1. In the same category Udith Ranaweera too had to go the full length to win against Tilanka Abeysekera 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. Boys 10 & Under Shailendera Ravin-dra w/o Joel Jeyarajan, Akmal Wickremanayake bt Ryan Kiriwella 9/3, Chavi R. Thalagala bt Narendra Sena-ratne 9/1, Sameera Cooray bt Kavisha de Silva 9/4, J. G. Emmanuel w/o P. W. J. Niroshan. Kushani
wins U-19 girls Title Kushani Daluwatte won the Girls Under 19 final beating Dharshika Kempitiya in three straight sets (9-0, 9-0, 9-1) in the Signature Cologne Squash Championship played at Otter Aquatic Club yesterday. In the fist two sets Kempitiya failed to collect a single point, while she managed to score only one point in the final set. Meanwhile experienced Janaka Suwaris defeated 16 year old Navin Samarasinghe 9-6, 9-5, 9-7 to take the Men's Open Plate title. Harin Perera won the Boys under 11 title while Jehani Guruge clinched the Girls Under 13 championships. Boys under 19 losses final for the third place Malinda Sugathapala won a thrilling four setter against Kavin Jayawardane. Sugathapala won first set 10-9 but lost the second set 9-4. Later won the two remaining sets 9-6, 9-7 to win the third place. * Results: * Girls Under 13 Final - Jehani Guruge bt Charunika Galabadage 9-0, 9-1, 9-0. * Girls Under 19 final - Kushani Daluwatte bt Dharshika Kempitiya 9-0, 9-0, 9-1. * Mens Plate Final - Janaka Suwaris bt. Navin Samarasinghe 9-6, 9-5, 9-7. Flo-Jo's mysterious
death Although the data are quite controversial, sudden death among athletes is probably not a rare occurrence. But sudden death happening to an athlete is always a frightening tragedy. When the athlete is a triple Olympic champion, the world record holder for two events and one of the most loved female athletes ever, the effect has no bounds. Such was the reaction to the death of Florence Griffith Joyner during last two weeks. Joyner's husband, Al Joyner reportedly found her dead in their California home on the morning of September 21. She was 38. The cause of death given was "heart seizure" which is at best a very non-specific way of giving a cause of death. It was also reported that the athlete had experienced a similar episode about one year ago, but the family had decided to keep it away from the press. Though the immediate reaction to her sudden death was one of disbelief and shock, rumors were not far behind. Within hours a possible link of her sudden death to alleged use of performance enhancing anabolic steroids surfaced in media. Though nothing has been ever proved 'Flo-Jo' was repeatedly accused of using anabolic steroids during her competitive days. Many suspected her on the ground of sudden improvement to break existing sprinting world records, which stand even now after 10 years. The allegations were vehemently denied by the Joyner family and her former coach Bob Kersse who is also the husband of another ace American female athlete, Jackie Joyner Kersse. At a press conference held at University of California, Los Angeles, Bob Kersse criticized media for tarnishing the image of the late athlete. The expert medical opinions that appeared in media on Joyner's sudden "heart seizure" doubted the possibility of steroids causing her death. Some experts went so far, that they completely excluded the possibility of anabolic asteroids having an effect on an athlete's heart. Is it true to say that anabolic steroids do not have any effect on an athlete's heart? Besides accidental causes and cardio-vascular abnormalities, drug abuse is a recognized cause of sudden death occurring among athletes. This is not an attempt to find a possible cause for 'Flo-Jo's sudden death. Even after a complete autopsy it will be very difficult to find an exact cause for the athletes death though it may answer some of the questions. This is an attempt to look at the available data to link sudden death among athletes to anabolic steroids. The familiar list of anabolic-androgenic side effects include acne, oily skin, weight gain, suppression of sperm production, decrease in testicular size, and appearance of some male characteristics in female. In addition anyone using above therapeutic doses of these compounds can experience enlarged breast tissue (in male), liver toxicity, polycythemia and prostate enlargement. But the evidence has accumulated over the past several years which associates androgenic-anabolic steroids (AAS) use with severe cardiovascular effects in humans who habitually use these drugs. These include sudden cardiac death, myocardial infraction altered serum lipids levels, and cardiac hypertrophy (enlargement of muscle tissue). Acute non-fatal myocardial infractions was first reported in 1988 and fatal myocardial infractions in 1990. In a review article published in the journal medicine and science in sports and exercise (1995 Sep: 27 (9): 1252-62) two researchers from the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacodynamics, University of Oklahama Health sciences Centre, USA; Melchert RB and Welder AA synthesized the available data on cardiovascular effects of androgenic-anabolic steroids. Their review suggests that there are at least four possible mechanisms of AAS-induced adverse cardiovascular effects: (1) an atherogenic hypothesis involving the effects of AAS on lipoprotein levels; 2) a thrombosis model involving effects of AAS on clotting factors and platelets; 3) a vasospasm hypothesis involving the effects of AAS on blood vessel nitric oxide system; and 4) a direct myocardial injury model involving the effects of AAS on individual myocardial cells. Detailed case records of some of the athletes who sustained fatal cardiac arrests while on training sessions reveal that they had been using anabolic steroids to enhance their athletic performance. MC Kennedy and C. Lawrence of Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, St, Vincent's Hospital, New South Wales, reported first two cases from Australia that linked anabolic steroid abuse to sudden cardiac death in 1993 (medical journal Australia, 1993 march 1). The two researchers have done a fairly deep investigation to the deaths of these two athletes and their findings give important insight into this phenomenon. The implicated anabolic steroid was oxymesterone. This compound has never been approved for use in Australia. The two athletes reported were footballers, aged 18 and 24 respectively. Both were considered fit and healthy. The authpsy revealed features of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (a disease condition of heart muscle) in the 18-year old and features of heart muscle inflammation (myocarditis) in the 24-year old. Urine in both athletes contained anabolic steroid oxymesterone. It is extremely interesting that in both these cases the coronary arteries were normal and there was no evidence of coronary artery thrombosis, indicating spasm of coronary arteries or direct injury to myocardial cells as a possible mechanism of sudden death. Both authors agree that a direct causal relationship is difficult to prove. But they say it is possible that the anabolic steroid contributed to the increased size of the heart in the first athlete and may have invested his responses to normal hormones (catecholeamines) that regulate the activity of heart. This can lead to a fatal rhythm abnormality in the heart or a "heart seizure". In the second, the inflammatory changes could have provided the focus for a so called "heart seizure". These authors say it appear that in any athlete presenting with acute vascular event, such as sudden cardiac death, anabolic steroid abuse should be considered. In 1995 researchers at Deportment of Biochemistry, University of North Texas Health Centre, reported a case of a 20-year old amateur body builder who died of a sudden cardio-respiratory arrest. He had no previous medical complaints but had a history of anabolic steroid abuse and an enlarged heart (515g) at autopsy. In 1997 researchers at the department of emergency medicine, Albany Medical Centre, New York, reported a similar case in the March-April issue of the journal Cardiology of a weight lifter dying of sudden cardio-respiratory arrest. The athlete has presented with severe difficulty in breathing and chest pain. He was also found to have an enlarged heart or dilated cardiomyopathy. The only known risk factor in him was the recent use of AAS. The researchers have given reasons to support possible role of AAS in the origin of dilated cardiomyopathy. This is by no means to suggest the sole factor implicated in the origin of sudden cardiac death is AAS. Apart from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy various other disease conditions have been found to be related to sudden cardiac death seen in athletes. They include right ventricular and left ventricular abnormalities, coronary anomalies, premature atherosclerosis, and Marfan's syndrome which has characteristic cardiac abnormalities. Forensic scientists and clinical pathologists have looked extensively into the phenomenon of Sudden Cardiac Death in recent years and their overall belief is that it has both mechanical and dynamic component (spasm and reperfusion). These features are morphologically different from those specific cardiovascular adaptations that occur with regular physical exercise or training. Abnormalities detected at cardiac conduction system has also been implicated, specially in relation to the fatal rhythm abnormalities. Microscopic studies in the heart muscle of death athletes have shown evidence of hyperacute myocardial infraction, due to spasm of coronary arteries with mild atherosclerosis, and myocardial lesions due to reperfusive necrosis. They consider them to be the morphologic substrate of the sudden cardiac death. However coronary artery disease is the more likely substrate for sudden death in older athletes. It is followed by conditions seen in younger athletes. A certain proportion of sudden death in apparently healthy athletes was preceded by symptoms of exercise intolerance. Pre participation evaluation directed to detect the cardiovascular abnormalities is probably more value to reduce sudden cardiac death in athletes than detailed and routine sophisticated investigations. In other words proper detection of athletes at high risk for sudden cardiac death and abstention from vigorous physical activity in these athletes may prevent sudden death. By VAjira Dharmawardene, Department of
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