Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 13) — The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) assured that the Asiad gold claimed by the Gilas Pilipinas squad remains with the country after power forward Justin Brownlee tested positive in his doping test.
“The gold remains with us,“ POC chief Bambol Tolentino said in a statement on Friday.
Tolentino cited Article 11.2 of International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Anti-Doping Rule, emphasizing that only teams with two or more members who test positive will be disqualified from a competition or event.
Only Brownlee was flagged from the Gilas team.
The International Testing Agency (ITA) said he tested positive for Carboxy-THC – a substance linked to cannabis and is included in the prohibited list of the world anti-doping agency.
The 6’7 shooter hauled 20 points and converted 10 rebounds in the Philippines’ 70-60 win against Jordan on Oct. 6 — a day before the samples were collected.
READ: Gilas captures Asian Games gold after 61 years
“All Brownlee needs is to prove his innocence in contesting the result if he allows testing his B Sample,” Tolentino said.
A two-year suspension will be imposed if the second sample also yields a positive result.
POC said the naturalized import has until Oct. 19 to contest the result of his first sample through appropriate procedures set by the IOC, ITA and the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Tolentino said that medicines that Brownlee uses to treat his injury could be containing the substance.
“Injured nga siya, so mayroon siyang mga prescription sa States yung mga doctor niya. Baka dun may nakasingit na content na prohibited. But it’s different, it’s not enhancing drug, baka sa pain o injury niya related ‘yun,” he told CNN Philippines’ Sports Desk in an interview.
[Translation: He is injured, that’s why he has prescriptions from his doctors in the States. Maybe those contain a prohibited content. But it’s different, it’s not an enhancing drug, it could be for pain or something to do with his injury.]
