Fifa's exec committee are keen to use new tests

The Fifa executive committee meeting in Zurich on Friday was told that the use of x-rays to determine a player's age was legally and ethically acceptable but only approximately accurate.

Fifa have been encouraged to use it to stamp out age cheats and acceptance of the technology will go a long way to resolving many of the potential problems, it is argued.

The x-rays measures the bone density of a person, from which an approximate age (within a couple of months of accuracy) can be determined.

Discussion of the technology's use for soccer by Fifa's executive committee has brought it closer to implementation.

However, it was decided to await a report from the Sports Medical Committee after a forthcoming congress in Los Angeles before deciding whether or not to make use of this technology for football competitions, Fifa officials said at the weekend.

Blood tests

South Africa are the only African country who have previously used the technology, although it has been selectively done at national junior team level only.

Fifa Sports Medicine Committee chairman, Dr. Michel D'Hooghe of Belgium, has also announced that blood tests would be introduced at the upcoming World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea.

D'Hooghe will co-ordinate testing in Japan and Korea

The tests, which may also then be used for other competitions, are needed because some new doping substances cannot be identified with the traditional urine testing.

The blood tests will be introduced once certain legal issues have been definitively clarified, although D'Hooghe did not elaborate further on the 'issues'.

He did, however, stress that while Fifa was moving towards more co-operation with Wada (the World Anti-Doping Agency), the world soccer body would continue to conduct its own doping tests at its own competitions.