The basketball gold of the 19th Asian Games will remain in the Philippines, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Bambol Tolentino, assured after Gilas Pilipinas’ main man, Justin Brownlee, failed a drug test.
In an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News yesterday, Tolentino said the Philippines will not be stripped away of its historic gold medal in the men’s basketball event of the continental sports event despite Browlee’s failed doping test.
According to the POC chief, the Anti-Doping Rule (ADR) states that there has to be two or more athletes in a team testing positive for banned substances for it to face a stiffer sanction, which may include disqualification.
In Gilas’ case, it was only Brownlee who turned out to be positive for the banned carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the Lausanne-based International Testing Agency (ITA) said.
Carboxy-THC is linked to cannabis use.
“Based on the ADR rule, if it’s a team event you need more than two athletes na mag-positive. So, since sa final list si Brownlee lang ang positive … eh positive nga rin ‘yung isang Jordan, tabla lang din tayo. Atin pa rin ang gold,” Tolentino explained.
He also speculated that it might be because of the medication Brownlee took when he was recovering from his injuries before the FIBA World Cup.
“Remember, Brownlee was injured before, kaya ‘di sila nakalaro nung FIBA World Cup. When you’re injured, lahat naman tayo … [may] medication. ‘Yun lang. Hindi ko alam kung may nainom siyang konting bawal doon or what,” he continued.
Filipino basketball fans were surprised on Thursday night, October 12, when the ITA announced that Brownlee failed the test, raising concerns about the gold medal status of the country.
The Philippines beat Jordan, 70-60, in the men’s basketball final on October 6, with Brownlee pouring in 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
The Games ended on Sunday, October 8.
Meanwhile, Tolentino shared that they were given until October 19 to decide whether to witness the opening of sample B that will finalize the decision of the ITA.
“If it’s positive again, they will put sanction, two years suspension on the athlete. If you want to appeal it, then, ‘pag nalusutan, mayroon kang explanation, medical records, etc. I don’t want to preempt, but they can still lower it to one or three months suspension [maximum],” he added.
Should sample B render a positive result, too, Brownlee might face suspension from FIBA-sanctioned events.
Tolentino will schedule a conversation with Brownlee in the coming days. (ABS-CBN News)