Although Marin Cilic had his recent drug ban shortened to four months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport when the Croatian convinced them he took the banned supplement nikethamide by mistake, the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) has now made it clear new global anti-doping rules to be agreed this week will leave no room for such excuses.
Under the proposed new version of the WADA Code, to be ratified this week at the body’s Fourth World Conference on Doping in Sport in Johannesburg and due to come into force on January 1, 2015, an offence like Cilic’s could earn a ban of four years.
Pleading ignorance about ingredients will not be a valid excuse. The only way to reduce bans will be by providing conclusive proof the athlete was at ‘no fault’; for example, proving, beyond doubt, sabotage by a rival competitor.
Cilic maintained he had been taking a glucose supplement for some time but when his mother bought the same product in a Monte Carlo pharmacy he did not read the small print to note a minute difference in the composition included nikethamide.
The International Tennis Federation subsequently reported an independent tribunal found that Cilic had inadvertently ingested the nikethamide as a result of taking the tablets and “did not intend to enhance his performance in doing so”.
New tough measures suit the leading players and Andy Murray, critical of the actions of both Cilic and Troicki, whose ban for missing a doping test was shortened to one year last week, said: “I would never go and buy something over the counter in a pharmacy. It’s just unprofessional.”
Other key changes to the WADA code include more investigatory powers for anti-doping organizations, bans for sportsmen who associate with known dopers and more targeted testing.
On Friday, the last day of the convention, WADA’s Foundation Board will announce their next President, who will succeed current President John Fahey on January 1, 2014.
Topics: 10sballs.com, Itf, Marin Cilic, Monte Carlo, nikethamide, Tennis, Tennis News, Troicki, Wada