Brownlee to appeal case

MANILA, Philippines — The cherished Asian Games gold medal safely in Philippine hands amid the Justin Brownlee doping case, the main focus now is to try and help the naturalized player avoid a potential two-year suspension.

Brownlee tested positive for carboxy-THC, a prohibited substance associated with marijuana, after leading Gilas Pilipinas to Asiad glory. The American-born player, though, may request for analysis of his “B sample,” which would invalidate or confirm his positive “A Sample.” And if it turns out positive again, he’ll get banned for two years but may appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Philippine officials believe the carboxy-THC found in Brownlee’s sample might have come from the medication he took when he underwent surgery in the US before the Hangzhou Games. Under such a scenario, it could fall under the “therapeutic use exemption” item.

“Ang inaasikaso muna niya ay ‘yung medical documents niya, kung ano ‘yung pri-nescribe sa kanya ‘nung nasa medication siya sa States ng doctor. Kailangan ‘yan in case mag-appeal after the opening of B Sample if mag-positive ulit,” Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino said in yesterday’s Power and Play on Radyo Singko.

“Although it’s part of prohibited (substances), hindi naman (performance-) enhancing drugs ‘yun. Ginamit talaga when he was injured, kung meron nga, so kung mapatunayan and nakita ng CAS, they might lower the suspension to one to three months,” he added.

Tolentino said two years would have a major effect on Brownlee’s stints with Gilas in international tournaments such as the coming FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, as well as the PBA. So accepting the long suspension is not an option.

“Mahirap para sa akin kapag tinanggap mo agad, kapag pinabayaan mo agad ‘yung two-year suspension.  Sayang ang participation niya sa PBA. Decision will be forwarded also to FIBA and it will forward it to SBP so all sanctioned games ng FIBA maapektuhan ‘yun,” he said.

The International Testing Agency (ITA), the body mandated by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) for the Hangzhou AG’s anti-doping program, confirmed that it was only Brownlee who tested positive among the Gilas team.

As such, the ITA said the Philippines’ gold medal win stays. Ditto with the silver feat of Jordan, whose player, Sami Bzai, was also flagged for the substance dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone metabolite.

“No other basketball players from either the Philippines or Jordan had returned an AAF (Adverse Analytical Finding), the team results are not to be disqualified,” the Lausanne-based testing group said in an announcement posted by the OCA on its website Friday night.