The Turkish Basketball Federation (TBF) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Player after his A and B samples tested positive for the prohibited substance cathine.
In October 2009 the TBF Disciplinary Committee decided a 1 year period of ineligibility and a 10.000 TRY fine. After Player’s appeal the Arbitration Board of the Turkish General Directorate for Youth and Sports confirmed this sanction in December 2009.
The Player filed a statement in his defence and was heard for the FIBA Disciplinary Panel in March 2010.
The Player stated he had no reason or interest to resort to doping to enhance his performance. The Player argued that he did everything that was objectively possible to establish how the substance entered his body and acted with all reasonable diligence during the relevant period in time.
The Panel considered the Player’s detailed documentation and witness statements with respect to his schedule before the doping control. The concentration of cathine found was low and the substance has no considerable – if any - enhancing effect for a basketball player.
The FIBA disciplinary Panel finds the Player’s negligence not significant, therefore decides a 1 year period of ineligibility starting from the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 10 August 2010.
