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sports Diaranson 21 october 2020

World champion runner Naser wins doping case on technicality

(AP) —The women’s month period — also allowed Although Naser failed to file
400-meter world cham- American sprinter Christian accurate information to give
pion has avoided being Coleman to avoid a ban and a sample on March 16, 2019,
banned for a doping rule win the men’s 100-meter it technically counted as hap-
violation on a technicality, world title last year. pening at the start of the
according to a ruling pub- quarter on Jan. 1, 2019. Her
lished Tuesday. Both Naser and Coleman proven missed tests were on
were charged by the AIU for March 12, 2019, and Jan. 24,
The Athletics Integrity Unit at least three “whereabouts 2020 — making the com-
said the charges against Bah- failures" within a 12-month bined time span longer than
raini runner Salwa Eid Naser period, which can lead to a one year.
for missed tests and filing two-year ban.
failures were dismissed by an Athletes must give updates on The ruling on Naser also
independent tribunal. a World Anti-Doping Agency swung on a fourth possible
online platform where they violation for an early-morn-
Naser, who was born in Ni- can be found for no-notice ing sample that could not be
geria but competes for Bah- testing outside of competi- taken on April 12, 2019, at
rain, will keep her title and tion. A violation means an her apartment in Riffa, Bah- the wrong address, and then wrongdoing in June when
has been cleared to compete athlete gave wrong informa- rain. found the correct building the AIU investigation was
at next year's Tokyo Olym- tion or was not where they but it had confusing door revealed and said missed tests
pics. The 22-year-old Naser said they would be when A doping control official was numbers. The official also could happy to any athlete.
ran the fastest women’s 400 sample collectors arrived. unable to find her between did not have a current phone
since 1985 to win the world 6-7 a.m. because of a se- number provided by the ath- The AIU said it “has the
title last year in Doha, Qatar. As in Coleman’s case, Nas- quence of events that “would lete. right to appeal the decision at
er’s three proven where- have been comical were the the Court of Arbitration for
The same technicality — abouts failures happened consequences not so seri- The judges did not accept the Sport (CAS) within 30 days
counting back the date of a within a 12-month calendar ous,” the ruling said. AIU lawyer’s argument that and will consider the reasons
rule violation to take effect period but were spread out the episode should count as for decision before determin-
from the start of a three- over more than one year. The official was first given a missed test. Naser denied ing whether to appeal.”

Back in the bubble, Chinese Super League into playoff stages

(AP) - When Odil Ahme- CSL teams into two groups anywhere,” Ahmedov told day. We see each other in the to be played which makes it
dov left Shanghai SIPG to based in the hub cities of Da- news site Sohu.com of the gym and at breakfast some- difficult both physically and
join fellow Chinese Super lian and Suzhou. unusual circumstances of his times. mentally.”
League club Tianjin Teda move. “I just changed build-
in August, the midfielder So not only were the eight ings and completed a transfer “Most teams have their For Ghotbi, as is often the
didn’t have to travel any- teams in each group based ... No problem.” own areas and keep to that, case in soccer, when the situa-
where to meet his new in those cities from July — though the coaches do chat to tion is going well on the field,
coach and colleagues. He five months late because of The first phase of the com- each other even if it is mostly it helps off the field. “Losing
merely moved to a differ- the coronavirus outbreak petition was staged between small talk.” in this situation can be like
ent part of the hotel both — but players, coaches, ref- July 22 and Sept. 28 before a poison," he said. “When you
teams had called home erees and federation officials brief recess ahead of the sec- Ghotbi’s team last Satur- are winning people don’t talk
since July, and took a seat were sharing the same hotel ond phase, which started last day beat Dalian Pro, a team too much but there are more
at a new breakfast table. complexes, unable to leave, Friday. guided by former Liverpool opinions expressed when you
except to take the bus to the and Real Madrid coach Rafa lose.”
In a bid to complete the 2020 stadium on match days. The top eight teams have Benitez, in the first leg of
season in the midst of re- gone into a playoff round a relegation playoff series. At least the players from Shi-
strictions caused by the CO- “Football is a sport with based in Suzhou to contin- Ghotbi said the seclusion jiazhuang, as well as 11 other
VID-19 pandemic, the Chi- many surprises and in this ue pursuit of the title, and does have some advantages Chinese clubs, know the sea-
nese Football Association de- special time and special envi- the bottom eight teams have for coaches. son will finally finish on Nov.
cided to split the 16 top-tier ronment, I don’t need to fly gone into a relegation round 12.
based in Dalian. “Staff can use the time to
analyze opponents and plan But for Choi’s Shanghai
Apart from some time earlier tactics but with games almost Shenhua team — as well
this month, most players and every four days, the situation as Guangzhou Evergrande,
staff involved have been un- has been tough for players,” Shanghai SIPG and Beijing
able to see family members the American-Iranian coach Guoan — there is more of
as the federation aims to keep added. the same to come in Qatar.
the league as safe as possible. As soon as China's domes-
So far it has worked, with no The clubs have tried to pro- tic season finishes, the four
positive cases reported from vide entertainment by in- clubs will be competing in
the regular testing for coro- stalling billiards and mahjong the delayed eastern confer-
navirus inside the bio-securi- tables as well as karaoke ma- ence of Asian Champions
ty hubs. But it has presented chines in the hotel headquar- League from Nov. 18 and
head coaches such as Afshin ters, but Shanghai Shenhua will be confined to hotels and
Ghotbi of Shijiazhuang Ever coach Choi Kang-hee knows stadiums once again.
Bright with new challenges. that the season has been de-
manding for all involved. The Asian Champions
“Logistically, it has been League group stage will fin-
amazing to see eight teams in “They are here all the time ish early next month but the
one location, it is like three and many miss their fami- two teams that reach the final
World Cups back to back,” lies,” Choi said. “It is a on Dec. 18 will face a long
Ghotbi told the Associated unique situation and we try time away from home and
Press. “All these people get to help them as much as pos- family.
fed three times a day every sible. There are many games