Governing Bodies
CAS BANS OLYMPIC CHAMPION
Chinese Olympic swimming champion Sun Yang has been banned for eight years after one of his entourage destroyed his blood vial with a hammer during an attempted drugs test in September 2018, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has announced.
The CAS panel upheld an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against a decision from the International Swimming Federation (FINA) to let Sun off with a warning after finding him guilty of tampering with the doping control process.
Sun, a three-times Olympic champion who served a three-month drugs ban in 2014, received the maximum eight-year sanction for a second doping offence and will not be able to return until February 2028.
The decision, which comes after a 10-hour public hearing in November, effectively ends Sun’s career and rules him out of competing at this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Sun is set to appeal the verdict to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.
The CAS ruled the 28-year-old had “failed to establish that he had a compelling justification to destroy his sample collection containers”.
His vial was smashed with a hammer on the instruction of Sun’s mother.
“As the panel noted, it is one thing, having provided a blood sample, to question the accreditation of the testing personnel while keeping the intact samples in the possession of the testing authorities; it is quite another thing, after lengthy exchanges and warnings as to the consequences, to act in such a way that results in destroying the sample containers, thereby eliminating any chance of testing the sample at a later stage,” the ruling read.
The panel agreed with WADA that the accreditation of the doping control officer at the centre of the row which led to the vial being smashed were in line with international standards.
“WADA decided to appeal the original FINA ruling having carefully reviewed it and having concluded that there were a number of points that seemed to be incorrect under the code,” said WADA director general Olivier Niggli.
“Today’s CAS ruling confirms those concerns and is a significant result.”
In its ruling, FINA’s independent doping panel declared the attempted sample collection “invalid and void” amid concerns over the accreditation of the testers from Swedish firm IDTM.
The panel also claimed Sun had “compelling justification” not to deal with the chaperone, who allegedly took photos and video of the swimmer on his phone.
“FINA has noted the judgement published by CAS today in the case of WADA versus Chinese swimmer Sun Yang,” FINA said in a short statement in response to the CAS ruling.
“Notwithstanding any further legal action, and as directed, FINA will implement CAS’s decision with regard to disciplinary action against the swimmer.”
During the hearing, marred by translation issues, the 11-times world champion protested his innocence and claimed the officials’ credentials did not adhere to anti-doping regulations.
Sun, the subject of protests from rival swimmers after he won two gold medals at last year’s FINA World Championships, appeared evasive under questioning and irked the panel’s President Franco Frattini by attempting to bring a member of the gallery into proceedings to translate his closing statement.
The controversial swimmer, one of the biggest names in the sport, had requested the hearing be held in public.
The CAS also confirmed Sun would keep the two titles he claimed at the World Championships in Gwangju.
-insidethegames
The president of the Confédération of African Football, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has announced five new CAF Vice Presidents. They are:
- CAF First Vice President: Mr Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
- CAF Second Vice President: Mr Kurt Okraku (Ghana)
- CAF Third Vice President: Mr Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
- CAF Fourth Vice President: Ms Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- CAF Fifth Vice President: Mr Feizal Sidat (Mozambique)
In addition, the CAF President has co-opted Yacine Idriss Diallo, President of Fédération Ivoirienne de football, into the CAF Executive Committee.
The CAF Executive Committee also approved the names to fill vacant positions on several CAF Committees.
Organising Committee for the African Nations Championship (CHAN)
- President: Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
CAF Technical and Development Committee
- President: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
- Vice President: Malouche Belhassen (Tunisia)
CAF Medical Committee:
- President: Dr. Mohammed Bouya (Mauritania)
- Vice President: Dr. Thulani Ngwenya (South Africa)
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Governing Bodies
Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council
Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.
The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.
Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.
He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.
An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.
He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.
“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”
Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.
“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.
He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.
“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.
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A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.
Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.
He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.
The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.
He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.
Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.
While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
-Reuters
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