In May 2017 the South African Institute for Drugfree Sport (SAIDS) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the boxer Aphiwe Boyiya after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substances Furosemide and Hydrochlorothiazide. After notification a provisional suspension was ordered. The Athlete filed a statement in his defence and he was heard for the SAIDS Anti-Doping Committee Panel.
The Athlete admitted the violation and denied the intentional use of the substances and stated that he had used the over-the-counter medication for a swollen knee and ankle. Previously the Athlete nor his manager had received anti-doping education and the Athlete had difficulties with the language.
SAIDS contended that the Athlete’s medication in question did not contain the prohibited substances and that he didn't establish how theses susbstances entered his system. Also the Athlete failed to exercise utmost caution to avoid inadvertent ingestion of a prohibited substance.
The Panel considered in this case as non-doping explanation the probability that the diuretic were used intentionally in boxing for the purpose to lose weight in order to make a weight grade.
The Panel agrees that the Athlete failed to establish how the substances entered his system. However SAIDS did not prove to the comfortable satisfaction of the Panel that the Athlete intentionally took the diuretics nor did it demonstrate that the Athlete’s conduct was reckless with total disregard for whether the substances he used were prohibited or not.
Therefore the Anti-Doping Committee decides on 15 September 2017 to impose a 2 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 26 May 2017.
