Snooker Players escape drugs ban
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Stephen Hendry (Scotland) and Jimmy White (England) have both been cleared of committing an offence after failing to take drugs tests at a charity event in Belgium.
A refusal to submit to a random test in Belgium could lead to a ban of between three months and two years.
But the pair were both cleared when they attended a Flemish anti-doping tribunal in Brussels.
Hendry's management said neither player knew they had to give a sample, nor had they been directly approached to do so.
Their legal representative Leo Martin said: "Never at any time were they directly approached.
"Indeed they were of the impression that this was not a formal test and were even suspicious of the approach, having never previously been asked to provide such a sample while playing in that country.
"At no time did the doctor make the approach directly.
"The procedures adopted were contrary to those used in tournaments sanctioned by World Snooker, the game's governing body, where random tests are normal practice and something all players are used to.
"The tribunal fully accepted my submissions that, in the absence of a specific request to my clients, they could not be convicted of refusing to take the dope test, according to the principles of natural justice."
The sad thing, is that drugs have no real effect in snooker, so there is no real need for any drugs test.
Source
- www.bbc.co.uk/snooker
Date
Tue 05/30/06, 12:16 pm EST
