In February 2023 the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) reported an anti-doping rule violation against the football player Ludwig Amla after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substance Terbutaline.
Because the Athlete refused to accept the sanction of 2 years proposed by CCES the case was referred to the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC).
The Athlete admitted the violation and denied the intentional use of the substance. He explained that he suffered from Asthma since childhood. Prior in Europe he used a prescribed inhaler and Bricanyl (Terbutaline) and continued to use this medication after coming to Canada.
The Athlete requested for a reduced sanction and stated that when he joined the football team he underwent medical examination in July 2022. He asserted that he had been transparant and he relied on the team officials to ensure that everything was done properly.
CCES finds that the Athlete's violation was not intentional, yet deemed that the Athlete had acted negligently. Despite the Athlete had followed an anti-doping presentation in July 2022 he thereupon failed in his personal responsibility to recognize that his medication Bricanyl was a prohibited substance.
The Sole Arbitrator accepts that the Athlete's violation was not intentional and finds that the Athlete had acted negligently. The Arbitrator considers that the Athlete had used the medication for several year, yet he was unable to indentify the name of his medication and to report the name of his medication to the team physician.
Therefore the SDRCC Tribunal decides on 14 July 2023 to impose a 2 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the notification, i.e. 4 July 2023.
