Five-times grand slam tennis champion Maria Sharapova hit out at some media accounts of her doping case that she termed "wrong" in an open letter to her fans on Facebook on Friday. Sharapova, who tested positive for the banned drug meldonium at the Australian Open in January, is facing a suspension of up to four years by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and has already lost numerous sponsorships in the aftermath. The former world number one thanked her fans for their "tremendous outpouring of support" before launching into a critique of what she believed were some inaccurate reports. "A report said that I had been warned five times about the upcoming ban on the medicine I was taking. That is not true and it never happened," Sharapova wrote. The 28-year-old Russian said she was making no excuses for not knowing about the ban that went into effect on Jan. 1, but said that after the first announcement, other notices were "buried in newsletters, websites, or handouts." "Again, no excuses, but it's wrong to say I was warned five times," said Sharapova, who has said she took the drug for 10 years due to a family history of heart issues and diabetes.
Five-times grand slam champion Maria Sharapova is seeking to have her two-year doping ban wiped out or reduced as she lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Tuesday.
Babu, who teaches English at the Delhi University, was booked under Indian Penal Code sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 and 121A (waging or attempting to wage war against government), 124A (sedition), among others.
Get Ahead readers Ajay and Rachit share their bike trip through the scenic Mashej Ghat and to the holy shrine of Sai Baba.
Pakistan Cricket Board on Tuesday suspended beleaguered pacer Mohammad Asif for flunking the dope test during the Indian Premier League and promised to extend all help to IPL Drugs Tribunal in its enquiry into the matter.
Commonwealth Games 400 meters hurdles champion Kaliese Spencer and world championship relay medallist Riker Hylton have been charged with breaching anti-doping rules, Jamaican athletics officials confirmed on Tuesday.
Lamine Diack, the former head of world athletics, has been placed under formal investigation in France on suspicion of corruption and money laundering following a complaint from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The representative of the World Anti-Doping Agency in Pakistan on Monday slammed the Indian Premier League organisers for prematurely identifying the player who failed a dope test during the tournament.
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Champions were dethroned, new national heroes born and world records smashed
The World Anti-Doping Agency will conduct dope tests on players participating in the Indian Premier League.
The IAAF ruling body of athletics is proactive in tackling doping and not protective of drug cheats, according to president Sebastian Coe.
Spanish tennis player Nuria Llagostera Vives, doubles winner at the 2009 WTA tour championships, has been banned for two years after testing positive for d-methamphetamine, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said on Monday.
The IWF has admitted to mentioning two different urine sample numbers in its communication of her dope flunk earlier this year, according to a letter that the world body sent to the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
Judo's governing body said that athletes were not obliged to take unscheduled drug tests when training in France in June and that those who refused, including Kosovo's gold medallist Majlinda Kelmendi, subsequently tested negative the next week.
The doping suspension of Croatian tennis player Marin Cilic has reportedly been reduced from nine months to four months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), making him eligible to return to playing from October 26 this year.
Sports Minister Vijay Goel on Tuesday said that the government will provide all support to help dope-cleared wrestler Narsingh Yadav represent the country at the forthcoming 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The BBC report said a third of medals in endurance events at the Olympics and world championships between 2001 and 2012 were won by athletes who have recorded "suspicious tests".
Lance Armstrong's promise to come clean about doping is "a little late", the head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said on Thursday, accusing the disgraced cyclist of trying to use events to "gain advantage".
Russian swimmers Vladimir Morozov and Nikita Lobintsev have launched an appeal against the ruling banning them from next month's Rio Olympic Games even though they have never failed a doping test.
The sport's governing body said on Tuesday that the seven had all met the "exceptional eligibility criteria" after satisfying the board that they have been training in an environment that passes the necessary anti-doping requirements.
Jemima Sumgong, who last year became the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic gold in the marathon, has tested positive for the banned blood-booster EPO in an out-of-competition test carried out by the IAAF, the sport's governing body said on Thursday.
The former New Zealand captain insists that it is not a 'failed drug test' as he had procured a retroactive Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) certificate to 'clear his name'.
All drug tests for prohibited substances during the ICC Champions Trophy produced negative results.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday.
Italian anti-doping authorities have called for two-year bans on 26 athletes, including Olympic bronze medallist Fabrizio Donato and European champion long jumper Andrew Howe, for allegedly failing to provide doping samples.
Samples from the probables for the Twenty20 World Cup, including fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, have been taken for testing by WADA laboratory.
Maria Sharapova will not care less what reception she receives when she plays her first Australian Open match since completing a doping ban on Tuesday, according to three-times Melbourne winner Mats Wilander.
Jamaica's former world 100 meters record holder Asafa Powell tested positive for a stimulant at last month's national championships, his agent said.
The new law will ensure that ICC has more powers to intervene if they feel a member is not doing all it can in the fight against drugs in cricket.
Jamaican Olympic sprint relay gold medallist Nesta Carter has returned an anti-doping violation for the banned stimulant Methylhexanamine after the re-testing of 454 samples from the 2008 Beijing Games, two sources familiar with the case have told Reuters. The Jamaican team of Carter, champion sprinter Usain Bolt and two other sprinters had won a gold medal in the relay at the 2008 Olympics. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said traces of Methylhexanamine were discovered in Carter's "A" sample, part of a batch of 454 from the 2008 Games that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ordered to be re-tested. Carter could face sanctions only if his "B" sample also tests positive for the substance. Reuters has not seen the laboratory results. Neither Carter, who won gold in the 4x100 metres relay with Jamaican team mates Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Michael Frater in Beijing, nor his agent replied to repeated requests for comment.
Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's revelations came just a few days after India has been placed at the third spot in worldwide dope violation in 2014 in a report published by World Anti-Doping Agency.
Both players have been told to stop talking to the media before their appearance next week at a doping tribunal.
World 100 metres champion Justin Gatlin said on Tuesday he is "shocked and surprised" at doping allegations made against his coach Dennis Mitchell, like Gatlin a convicted doper, but added that he sacked him as soon as he heard about the issue.
Chris Xuereb, the masseur and fitness advisor of Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson, has denied providing the two Jamaican sprinters with performance-enhancing drugs and said they should take responsibility for their failed dope tests.
The 23-year-old world champion crossed the line in the Ras al-Khaimah half marathon three seconds quicker than the mark set by fellow Kenyan Florence Kiplagat in Barcelona two years ago, although the new record remains subject to ratification.
Shailaja Pujari is believed to have returned a positive test following random out-of-competition testing by WADA officials.
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