National rugby players fail doping test
Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday January 5, 2016 18:00
The two players, names known to this publication, play for Botho Raiders and UB Rhinos.
The Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) chief executive officer, Tuelo Serufho confirmed receiving a doping report from the Botswana Rugby Union (BRU) yesterday.
He told Mmegi Sport that his office received information from BRU stating that the two players tested positive for a banned substance.
He said despite that, there are still processes that have to be followed and thorough investigations have to be conducted before a decision is taken. He said players are yet to be given a chance to defend themselves if need arises.
“We are still on sample A and if athletes want to defend themselves they can ask for sample B. That will be the last sample and that is when action can be taken against them,” he said.
He added that BNOC would only go into more details as soon as the process is finalised.
He said it would be unfortunate for athletes and Botswana sport if they test positive. He said it is worrying that the number of athletes testing positive for doping keeps increasing.
He cautioned athletes against the use of substance as doping in sport is real. Serufho said BNOC has gone all out to teach athletes about the dangers of doping. “We have seen doping scandals in countries such as Russia and Kenya recently and that indicate that the trend is spreading and we have to do all we can to fight it. Athletes must avoid drinking anything that they do not understand or trust,” said Serufho. The latest allegations of doping follow that of Amantle Montsho who tested positive for methylhexaneamine, a banned substance, at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Montsho was handed a two-year ban.