Pagbagsak sa doping ni Brownlee.. "Atin pa rin ang gold" — Tolentino

ni VA / MC @Sports | October 14, 2023

May malaking dagok ngayon ang pagkapanalo ng Gilas Pilipinas sa 19th Asian Games men's basketball championship.

Ito'y matapos na bumagsak si Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player Justin Brownlee ang itinuturing na bayani sa pagkapanalo ng bansa ng gold medal sa basketball sa unang pagkakataon magmula noong 1962 sa dope test.

Inanunsiyo ng International Testing Agency (ITA) noong Huwebes ng gabi na bumagsak si Brownlee sa “in-competition anti-doping” test.

Base sa resulta, nagpositibo si Brownlee sa Carboxy-THC, isang prohibited substance na Carboxy-THC ng World Anti-Doping Agency na karaniwang dulot ng paggamit ng cannabis. “A sample collected from basketball player Justin Brownlee from the Philippines has returned an Adverse Analytical Finding for Carboxy-THC, a specified Prohibited Substance, according to the Prohibited List of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA),” ayon sa statement ng ITA.

“The sample was collected by the ITA at the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 during an in-competition anti-doping control performed on 7 October 2023,” ayon sa nakasaad sa website ng ITA. “The athlete has been informed of the case. He has the right to request the analysis of the B-samples.”

Ang kaso ni Brownlee ay itataas sa Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport para sa kaukulang hatol batay sa Olympic Council of Asia’s Anti-Doping Rules.

Matatandaang matapos umiskor ng 36-puntos sa quarterfinal win kontra Iran, muling pinangungunahan ni Brownlee ang Gilas nang sorpresahin ng mga ito ang host at defending champion China sa semis para umabot ng finals.

Isinalansan ni Brownlee ang 17 sa kabuuang 33 puntos na output sa 4th period upang ungusan ang China, 77-76 na naunang lumamang ng 20-puntos.

Dahil sa kabiguan, hindi nakaabot ang China sa finals ng men’s basketball sa ikatlong pagkakataon sa kasaysayan ng Asian Games.

At sa huling laro kontra Jordan para sa gold medal, nagtala si Brownlee ng double double 20 puntos at 10 rebounds sa kanilang 70-60 na panalo.

Samantala, gaya ni Brownlee nagpositibo rin sa dope test si Sami Bzai ng Jordan sa isang non-specified prohibited substance na dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone metabolite. Wala pa ring pahayag ang Hangzhou Games organizing committee kung may implikasyon ang resulta ng dope test sa final results.

Samantala, mananatili ang basketball gold sa 'Pinas at hindi makakaapekto sa panalo ng bansa sa men’s 5x5 l competition sa nagdaang Hangzhou 19th Asian Games. “The gold remains with us,” ayon kay Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.

Aniya, kung dalawa pa sa Gilas Pilipinas teammates ang nasuring positibo, at saka lamang mababawi ang gold medal.

Tinukoy niya ang Article 11.2 ng Anti-Doping Rule of the International Olympic Committee - “Consequences for Team Sports” that “If more than two members of a team in a Team Sport is found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation … the CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport] Anti-Doping Division may impose an appropriate sanction on the team (e.g., loss of points, Disqualification from a Competition, Event or the Olympic Games Rio 2016, or other sanction) as provided in the applicable rules of the relevant International Federation, in addition to any consequences imposed upon the individual Athletes committing the antidoping rule violation.”

Unang bumagsak si mountain bike cycling athlete Ariana Evangelista sa “Adverse Analytical Finding” bago ang games.

Si Brownlee ay may hanggang October 19 para i-contest ang result ng A Sample base sa procedures ng IOC, ITA at World Anti-Doping Agency. “All Brownlee needs is to prove his innocence in contesting the result if he allows testing his B Sample,” aniya. May 2-year suspension kung ang B Sample ay lalabas na positive.