Philippines basketball star Justin Brownlee fails Asiad drugs test: Officials
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Philippines' Justin Brownlee (left) helping his side to victory over Jordan in the Asian Games men's basketball final in Hangzhou on Oct 6.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
LAUSANNE – Justin Brownlee, who played a starring role to help the Philippines win their first Asian Games basketball gold since 1962, has failed a doping test, officials said on Thursday.
The American-born Brownlee tested positive for the banned Carboxy-THC, the Lausanne-based International Testing Agency (ITA) said. Carboxy-THC is linked to cannabis use.
“The sample was collected by the ITA at the Asian Games Hangzhou during an in-competition anti-doping control performed on Oct 7, 2023. The athlete has been informed of the case. He has the right to request the analysis of the B-samples,” the ITA said.
The Philippines beat Jordan 70-60 in the men’s basketball final on Oct 6 with Brownlee pouring in 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Separately, the ITA said that Jordan basketball player Sami Bzai had tested positive for a banned steroid. He also has the right to request the analysis of the B-samples. It takes the total number of known doping cases at the Games to 10.
Elsewhere, Nigerian sprinter Divine Oduduru has been banned for six years for committing two anti-doping rule violations, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Thursday, saying there was “overwhelming evidence” against him.
The violations were possession of prohibited substances and the attempted use of a prohibited substance or method.
The 27-year-old was also ordered to pay World Athletics US$3,000 (S$4,100) towards its expenses in the case.
“We are very pleased with the outcome of this matter, given its particularly grievous nature, exposing the sinister collusion between athletes and other persons in deliberate plans to corrupt athletics at the highest level,” said AIU head Brett Clothier in a statement.
The AIU was seeking a six-year ban for Oduduru, who was provisionally suspended on Feb 9.
The case arose when United States prosecutors charged therapist Eric Lira with supplying performance-enhancing drugs to athletes at the Tokyo Olympics.
Oduduru’s teammate Blessing Okagbare was banned for 11 years in 2022 for doping in the lead-up to the Games in 2021 and refusing to co-operate with the investigation. Her phone was reviewed by US Customs and Border Protection and a Federal Bureau of Investigation complaint set out “highly incriminating text and voice messages” with Lira.
“The AIU is fully committed to unearthing cheats and the extent of their networks. In our quest to protect the integrity of athletics, we often work closely with other investigative organisations,” said Clothier.
“We are grateful for the assistance from the United States Anti-Doping Agency and United States Department of Justice whose legal reach provided vital evidence which helped in this matter as well as in our case against Blessing Okagbare last year.”
Oduduru maintained his innocence throughout, despite what the AIU said was significant evidence, including WhatsApp messages between Okagbare and Lira that revealed Okagbare soliciting prohibited substances on Oduduru’s behalf.
“There was photographic evidence of multiple prohibited substances discovered in Oduduru’s Florida apartment,” the AIU said.
Among evidence found were two boxes of Somatropin, Xerendip and Humatrope, which were identified as human growth hormone, a plastic bag labelled “IGF LR3” – an abbreviation for synthetic Insulin Growth Factor – containing three vials, and two boxes of erythropoietin.
Oduduru’s fastest times are 9.86 seconds in the 100 metres and 19.73sec in the 200m. He was disqualified in the 100m heats in Tokyo, while he reached the 200m semi-finals. AFP, REUTERS
