By REYNALD MAGALLON
Friday the 13th began bearing some bad news – a nightmare.
Gilas Pilipinas and its legion of supporters woke up on Friday, Oct. 13 with the shocking news of Justin Brownlee failing a drug test that could put the country’s historic Asian Games gold medal in question.
According to the International Testing Agency (ITA), Brownlee tested positive for the banned Carboxy-THC, which is under the prohibited list of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Carboxy-THC is linked to Cannabis use.
ITA also added that the issue has been referred to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Although Brownlee’s camp is expected to request the analysis of B-samples which was collected on Oct. 7 a day after Gilas’ 70-60 win over Jordan in the gold medal match, fans have expressed their concerns over the possible repercussions should Brownlee also fail the second test.
There is no official word yet from the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee on how Brownlee’s test could affect Gilas’ gold medal conquest but according to 2023 Olympic Council of Asia Anti-Doping Rules for Hangzhou Asian Games, sanctions, including possible disqualification, should be handed if at least ‘two members of a team violate anti-doping rules.
“If more than two (2) members of a team in a Team Sport are found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation during the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games Period, the CAS Anti-Doping Division shall impose an appropriate sanction on the team (e.g., loss of points, Disqualification from a Competition or Event, or other sanction) in addition to any Consequences imposed upon the individual Athletes committing the anti-doping rule violation,” Article 11.2 of the anti-doping code reads.
Even in FIBA rules, the game result should remain valid if only one player was proven to have violated the anti-doping rules.Gilas’ win over Japan in the second window of the 2019 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers was not nullified even after Kiefer Ravena also tested positive to banned substances.
However, that doesn’t entirely assure Gilas of not being stripped of its Asian Games crown. Article 11.3 of the same anti-doping code is giving more power to the ruling body or the international federation to apply stricter consequences.
“The ruling body for an Event may elect to establish rules for the Event which impose Consequences for Team Sports stricter than those in Article 11.2 for purposes of the Event,” it added.
Aside from Gilas and Brownlee, the silver medalist in Jordan also faced the possibility of getting stripped of its medal after one of its players also failed the doping test.
Should Gilas and Jordan get disqualified, bronze medalists China could be taking the gold and fourth and fifth placers also landing into the podium.
It was the same case when Trinidad and Tobago took the gold medal in the 4×100-meter relay in the 2008 Beijing Olympics after Usain Bolt was asked to return his gold medal after one of his teammates in the Jamaican team also failed the drug test.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas or Brownlee have yet to issue a statement regarding the matter. Brownlee was the second member of the PH team to fail the doping test after cyclist Ariana Evangelista was also flagged in the Asiad.
