THE Philippine Olympic Committee announced that the recent failure of Gilas Pilipinas star Justin Brownlee in a random drug test will not take the gold away from the Filipino cagers.
Concerns were awash early Friday morning, Oct. 13, 2023 over the possibility of the Gilas being stripped of the gold medals they won following a 70-60 win over Jordan in the finals of the men’s basketball tournament in the 19th Asian Games.
However, POC president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Friday that the gold medal will remain with the Philippines.
“The gold remains with us,” Tolentino said.
Tolentino explained that if two of Brownlee’s Gilas Pilipinas teammates also test positive, this would be the only scenario when the Philippines’ gold medal would be forfeited.
He cited Article 11.2 of the Anti-Doping Rule of the International Olympic Committee that states under “Consequences for Team Sports” that “If more than two members of a team in a Team Sport is found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation… the CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport] Anti-Doping Division may impose an appropriate sanction on the team (e.g., loss of points, Disqualification from a Competition, Event or the Olympic Games Rio 2016, or other sanction) as provided in the applicable rules of the relevant International Federation, in addition to any consequences imposed upon the individual Athletes committing the antidoping rule violation.”
Other athletes
Brownlee is the second athlete on Team Philippines who tested positive for doping on their A Sample taken during the Hangzhou Games.
Mountain bike cycling athlete Ariana Evangelista earlier returned an “Adverse Analytical Finding” after she was randomly tested ahead of her competition early in the games.
Both Brownlee and Evangelista are provisionally suspended until after the results of their B sample—are analyzed in their defense.
Brownlee has until Oct. 19, 2023 to contest the result of his A Sample through appropriate procedures set by the IOC, ITA and the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Tolentino said that Brownlee’s teammates have also been tested, as well as their final opponent, Jordan, which also had one player failing the test.
A two-year suspension will be imposed if the B Sample also yields a positive result.