Silent Bans - A Real thing?

[BrooklynNY]

http://footfault.net/2013/02/05/spor...female-player/


It’s strange to think that just a few months ago, about the only real coverage or mere mention of doping in tennis came via the long-standing website Tennis Has A Steroid Problem. Though I certainly didn’t agree with everything in it, the site was a must-read because it asked the questions that desperately needed to be asked and discussed what needed to be discussed.

Suddenly, in this unfamiliar post-Armstrong and post-Fuentes world, such questions and discussion on doping have conversely become difficult to avoid. Most recently in the form of tennis consultant/manager Alan Moore – currently affiliated with WTA players Vitalia Diatchenko, Marta Sirokina and Anastasia Rodionova – who interestingly claims that six years ago an unnamed Croatian WTA player represented by his former management company was silently banned for six months after failing a drugs test.

Doctor Luis Garcia del Moral is best known for setting up the doping system for the US Postal cycling team, he also had more than a decade of guiding tennis players at the Spanish TenisVal Academy. A tennis player my former company managed went to train at TenisVal some years ago – breaking her contract to do so. She returned to Croatia leaner, stronger and with notable skin irritations. It came as no surprise that a random drugs test found her to have taken anabolic steroids, amongst other banned drugs. She received a 6 month ban and went back on tour. The governing body of tennis, the ITF, were informed fully of what had happened, yet in the 6 years that have passed nothing has happened.

Naturally, I automatically put on my imaginary detective hat and began perusing t’Internet for Croatian players absent from the tour somewhere around mid-2006 or 2007. The only 2006 year-end top 500 player to fall into this category was actually the one whose name immediately sprung to mind due to the 10 month (initially estimated 6 months) injury break she took in April 2007; everyone’s favourite ball-pummeler (and Marcos Baghdatis’ wife), Karolina Sprem. Still, there is no available information that links Sprem to the TennisVal academy or Moore’s old company, so the player in question could possibly be a non-Croatian national.

Of course, the identity of the player in question is largely irrelevant. What is relevant is that someone involved with women’s players and the women’s tour has disclosed an actual example of the ITF allegedly being actively involved in the much-discussed concept of silently banning a player, or else being aware of player(s) banned for doping and refusing to disclose such information. Interesting indeed.

[natalia]

Thanks for posting this, very interesting times are upon us, it seems...

[ivan_the_terrible]

OP - interesting article in light of the fact that exhibit number 1 is back & showing no signs of career-threatening injuries as feared by his adoring fans.

[SLD76]

Le wow

10shocks

[mariecon]

Never in doubt.

[mariecon]

Dick Pound, former head of World Anti-Doping Agency, claims he is certain that tennis has a doping problem

"Dick Pound, the former head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, has added to the climate of suspicion surrounding tennis by claiming he is “sure” the sport has a drug problem."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/oth...g-problem.html

[cc0509]

Originally Posted by mariecon

Dick Pound, former head of World Anti-Doping Agency, claims he is certain that tennis has a doping problem

"Dick Pound, the former head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, has added to the climate of suspicion surrounding tennis by claiming he is “sure” the sport has a drug problem."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/oth...g-problem.html

Duh!

[*Sparkle*]

I could believe that ATP/WTA/ITP might be involved with silent bans, but once WADA is involved, it's a non-starter. ATP/WTA/ITP would be taking a big risk trying to keep that sort of thing from WADA now they have signed up to their policies.

[mariecon]

Originally Posted by cc0509

Duh!

There are certainly enough deluded people on this here website!

[cc0509]

Originally Posted by mariecon

There are certainly enough deluded people on this here website!

When it comes to the doping topic there certainly are!

[MasturB]

Best part of that news headline was the fact that his name is DICK POUND.

[mariecon]

Originally Posted by MasturB

Best part of that news headline was the fact that his name is DICK POUND.

You've never heard of Dick Pound?

[KineticChain]

and he's the head of something

[JustBob]

Originally Posted by mariecon

You've never heard of Dick Pound?

Considering his username, that's hard to believe!

[OddJack]

Makes for good stories, but things like this cant be kept silent. Too many things involved at too many levels.

[Mustard]

Dick Pound wanted Rio Ferdinand banned for years for forgetting a drugs test because he was preoccupied with moving house and going shopping. I wouldn't pay much attention to what he says. Ferdinand was later banned for 8 months! Not for failing a test, merely for forgetting an appointment to have a test done at a particular time.

[mariecon]

Originally Posted by Mustard

Dick Pound wanted Rio Ferdinand banned for years for forgetting a drugs test because he was preoccupied with moving house and going shopping. I wouldn't pay attention to what he says. Ferdinand was later banned for 8 months!

Of course you wouldn't. Why would anyone pay attention to someone who headed WADA and was vice prez of the IOC? Clearly he knows nothing about doping in sports.

[mariecon]

Originally Posted by Mustard

Dick Pound wanted Rio Ferdinand banned for years for forgetting a drugs test because he was preoccupied with moving house and going shopping. I wouldn't pay much hat sounds attention to what he says. Ferdinand was later banned for 8 months! Not for failing a test, merely for forgetting an appointment to have a test done at a particular time.

That sounds like a silent ban to me.

[Mustard]

Originally Posted by mariecon

Of course you wouldn't. Why would anyone pay attention to someone who headed WADA and was vice prez of the IOC? Clearly he knows nothing about doping in sports.

An 8 month ban for forgetting a doping test appointment. Pound wanted years. You think that's fair? Ferdinand was treated as if he was guilty of taking drugs, just for having a lot on his mind. I'm sorry, but that Ferdinand episode, and the reaction of people like Dick Pound and Sebastian Coe, left a very bitter taste.

[mariecon]

Originally Posted by Mustard

An 8 month ban for forgetting a doping test appointment. Pound wanted years. You think that's fair? Ferdinand was treated as if he was guilty of taking drugs, just for having a lot on his mind. I'm sorry, but that Ferdinand episode, and the reaction of people like Dick Pound and Sebastian Coe, left a very bitter taste.

Like I said, it was probably a silent ban. They wouldn't expose him as it would be bad for the sport so they disguise it as a lesser infraction. But you know if a tennis player misses 3 OOC tests in an 18 month period they are supposed to be suspended? Why does this surprise you? How else can you ensure they get tested? I still think that's too lenient.