Express News Service
CHENNAI: In what could be one-of-a-kind defence, a player has cited excessive consumption of pork after a positive dope test. According to the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), basketball player, Shashank J Rai, tested positive for anabolic androgenic steroid 19-norandrosterone and has been banned for four years. His sample was collected out-of-competition in Bengaluru on February 5 this year and tested in a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) laboratory in Rome.
The adverse analytical finding (AAF) was recorded in April and the player was provisionally suspended with immediate effect. A B sample analysis too was done, with the same result. The player also got all his supplements tested but none contained any prohibited substances.
However, what turned out interesting was the defence the player put up. In a written submission, he said that “the regular consumption of pig meat by the athlete is the only plausible explanation for the presence of “19-NA”. According to the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) order, “the Athlete is a native of Mangalore, a city in Karnataka. Mangalorean cuisine is renowned for their utilization of pig meat or pork.
The Athlete is also a regular consumer of pork and had even consumed pork on the day of sample collection and the preceding day too.” Bills indicating his consumption of pork were submitted and he said that he and his family are regular consumers of pork. And “the Athlete believes that the only plausible explanation for the presence of 19-NA is the regular consumption of pig meat by the Athlete”.
The athlete also submitted that the following scientific studies have recognised the consumption of pork as a possible source of 19-NA: “(a) Excretion of 19-norandrosterone after consumption of boar meat by Frank Hülsmann, German Sport University Cologne, Institute of Biochemistry.”Here, it was found that significant amounts of 19-NA can be found in the offal (internal organs) and meat of wild boars and that consumption of wild boar meat may result in an atypical or even positive test result.
“Consequence of boar edible tissue consumption of urinary profiles of nandralone metabolites by Bruno Le Bizec (attached herein as Annexure 8) In this particular study, it was found that eating tissues of non-castrated male pig can induce false accusations of the abuse of nandrolone in anti-doping,” the order quoted the study.
However, the panel observed that “The study clearly says that the said results may be obtained only when “male non-castrated” pigs are consumed, no document was placed on record to verify the same in the present (athlete’s) case.” The panel also said that “the concentration in Athlete’s sample was found to be (≥) 15 ng/mL, subsequent GC/C/IRMS in the athlete’s report confirmed the presence of exogenous origin of “19-NA”.”
Though the athlete tried to establish excessive pork eating led to the AAF, the panel did not accept his explanation.”The panel disagrees… it is blatantly clear that the above-mentioned studies do not conclusively prove that consumption of pork leads to presence of “NA-19” in one’s body, the reports though make it clear that the concentrations are in the low ng/mL range, the findings are not substantive enough through which a clear connection could be established.”
According to the order, “The panel would like to clarify that the issue “whether consumption of pork leads to presence of NA-19”, is a secondary issue, firstly, the athlete should have established that he actually did consume pork on a regular basis, on the day of collection and a day prior, the supplied bills and evidences are not satisfactory in nature and don’t establish “consumption” even remotely.”
The panel argued that “No statistics supporting the statement “Mangalorean cuisine is renowned for their utilization of pig meat or pork” were placed on record and hence shall be treated as hearsay”.The panel also cited various Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) cases where such consumption of pig offal (internal organs) led to positive steroid tests could not be established.
The panel did not accept the player’s explanation and slapped a four year suspension. The athlete sought applicability of NADA Anti-Doping Rule Article 10.5: “Elimination of the Period of Ineligibility where there is No Fault or Negligence. If an Athlete or other Person establishes in an individual case that he or she bears No Fault or Negligence, then the otherwise applicable period of Ineligibility shall be eliminated.”
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