AS Gilas Pilipinas fans woke up to news of Justin Brownlee's failed drug test in the 19th Asian Games, the initial shock soon gave way to one pertinent concern.
Will Gilas be stripped of the gold medal?
Before consequences, if any, are considered, it should be pointed out that the Philippines can appeal Brownlee's positive test for the prohibited substance Carboxy-THC beginning with a request to test the Gilas player's B sample.
READ: Justin Brownlee failed Asian Games doping test, says ITA
Calls made to Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas officials led by Al Panlilio showed that SBP officials are still trying to get a full grasp of the situation before making any decision or taking the next course of action.
But in the event the positive test is confirmed, the 2023 Olympic Council of Asia Anti-Doping Rules adopted for the Hangzhou Asian Games is very clear when it comes to the consequences of a positive test for an athlete in a team sport.
Here is the pertinent line lifted from the doping rules handbook:
Take note of the line 'more than two members of a team' in the specific article detailing the punishment for a positive test in a team sport. So will this apply in the case of Brownlee and Gilas?
That remains to be seen.
However, it is also worth noting that Article 11.3 of the anti-doping rules give "the ruling body of the event," in this case the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (HAGOC), the option to "establish rules for the event which impose consequences for team sports stricter than those in Article 11.2 for purposes of the event."
The organizer, as we all know, is host China.
In terms of punishment, the anti-doping rules are very clear that athletes in individual sports face suspension and disqualification of results - which equates to stripping of medals to the winners - after a positive test is confirmed.
LOOK:
Article 11.2 of the OCA Anti-Doping Rules also details the consequences for teams:
LOOK:
It should be noted, however, that under Fiba rules, positive drug tests for one player do not alter the result of the matches, as what happened during Kiefer Ravena's failed drug test back in 2018 during a World Cup qualifier against Australia.
Here is the Fiba rule:
As a footnote, let us remember that Ravena was suspended by Fiba for 18 months for that flunked test.
So will this apply to Brownlee and Gilas?
That we have to see.
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