NBA fines Dallas Mavericks $750,000 for league violation

The CAS confirms the life ban imposed on Rosnick Grant, Former Vice-President of the Haitian Football Federation, following acts of harassment and sexual abuse

In the proceedings between Mr Rosnick Grant and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has decided to confirm the life ban imposed on Mr Rosnick Grant, former Vice-President and Head of Referees of the Haitian Football Federation (FHF), by the Adjudicatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee for violation of Article 23 (protection of physical and mental integrity) and Article 25 (abuse of power) of the FIFA Code of Ethics in connection with acts of harassment, sexual abuse, threats and coercion against female referees. The fine of CHF 100,000 initially imposed on Mr Rosnick Grant was reduced to CHF 35,000.

In May 2020, the Investigatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee opened an investigation into Mr Yves Jean-Bart, former President of the FHF, who was suspected of having coerced several female players from the National Technical Centre in Croix-des-Bouquets into having sexual relations with him. During the proceedings, the Investigatory Chamber identified Mr Rosnick Grant as one of the perpetrators of sexual abuse and opened an investigation against him in August 2020. On 22 July 2021, based on the final report of the FIFA Ethics Committee, the testimony of a victim, the statements of Mr Rosnick Grant, and the statements of the Chairman of the Investigation Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee, the Adjudicatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee issued the Challenged Decision.

On 6 October 2021, Mr Rosnick Grant filed an appeal at CAS requesting the annulment of the Challenged Decision, claiming that he was innocent of the charges against him. A CAS Panel of three arbitrators, composed of Mr Alexander McLin, President (Switzerland/USA), Prof. Gérald Simon (France) and Mr José J. Pintó (Spain), was constituted to decide the appeal. A hearing was held on 15 and 16 February 2023, during which numerous witnesses were heard, some of whom benefited from special protective measures.

As a basis for its decision, the Arbitral Panel considered the testimony of a victim, who had travelled to Switzerland for the hearing, to be accurate, coherent and credible. The Panel also noted the inconsistency and imprecision in the statements of the witnesses called by Mr Rosnick Grant, most of whom stated, in a contradictory and unconvincing manner, that the accusations against Mr Rosnick Grant were the result of a conspiracy against him. Finally, the Arbitral Panel found that the fine imposed on Mr Rosnick Grant was disproportionate to the salary conditions he was subject to in Haiti.

In conclusion, the Arbitral Panel found that the evidence against Mr Rosnick Grant regarding the sexual abuse charges was sufficiently convincing and that, as a result, the sanction imposed on Mr Rosnick Grant by the Court should be confirmed, with the exception of the fine, which was reduced to CHF 35'000. This decision comes a few weeks after another CAS decision concerning the former President of the FHF, Mr. Yves Jean-Bart, who was released from the sanctions imposed on him by FIFA due to insufficient evidence. That CAS decision is currently being appealed to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

Concacaf Statement regarding Inter Moengo Tapoe and CD Olimpia

The Concacaf Disciplinary Committee has fully investigated the circumstances surrounding the integrity concerns raised by a video which circulated on social media following the Inter Moengo Tapoe vs CD Olimpia Concacaf League match.

Adjudicatory Chamber of the Independent Ethics Committee sanctions Issa Hayatou

The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has found Mr Issa Hayatou, former CAF president, former FIFA President ad interim, FIFA Vice-President and member of the FIFA Council, as well as Honorary FIFA VicePresident, responsible for having breached article 15 (Duty of Loyalty) of the FIFA Code of Ethics.

Lebogang Shange found guilty of an anti-doping rule violation by the CAS

Decision rendered by the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS ADD) Natasha Rosa Figueiredo - Weightlifting

Independent Panel issues sanctions against two IWF Member Federations following ITA referral

THE INTERNATIONAL TESTING AGENCY (ITA) CONFIRMS THE IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS BY THE INTERNATIONAL WEIGHTLIFTING FEDERATIONS’ (IWF’S) MEMBER FEDERATION INDEPENDENT SANCTIONING PANEL AGAINST THE VIETNAMESE AND COLOMBIAN WEIGHTLIFTING FEDERATIONS UPON REFERRAL BY THE ITA. THE ITA WILL ALSO REFER THE TURKISH WEIGHTLIFTING FEDERATION BEFORE THE IWF INDEPENDENT SANCTION PANEL FOR MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS.

Salwa Eid Naser (Bahrain) found guilty of an Anti-Doping Role Violation (whereabout failures) by CAS

Lausanne, 30 June 2021 - The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld the appeals filed by World Athletics (WA) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against the decision issued by the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal on 14 October 2020 (the Challenged Decision) in which it was determined that Ms Salwa Eid Naser had not committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) in relation to an alleged filing failure and missed tests between March 2019 and January 2020.

World Athletics v Luvo Manyonga

A decision in the case of World Athletics against Luvo Manyonga has been issued by the Disciplinary Tribunal.

On 23 December 2020 the AIU issued Mr Manyonga with a Notice of Charge for committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation relating to Whereabouts Failures, consisting of one Missed Test and two Filing Failures in a 12-month period.

Shelby Houlihan found guilty of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued its decision in the arbitration procedure between the US track and field athlete Shelby Houlihan and World Athletics (WA):

• Shelby Houlihan is found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) pursuant to Rule 2.1 and Rule 2.2 of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules. • Shelby Houlihan is subject to a period of ineligibility of four (4) years starting on 14 January 2021. 
• All competitive results obtained by Shelby Houlihan from 15 December 2020 through to 14 January 2021 are disqualified, including forfeiture of any titles, awards, medals, points and prize and appearance money obtained during this period.

The FA publishes outcomes from club appeals against sanctions by the National League

The FA has today published the outcomes of appeals from a number of clubs against sanctions by the National League during the 2020/21 season. 

An independent Appeal Board considered three appeals on 29 April 2021 against sanctions from the National League for failing to fulfil fixtures by Blyth Spartans FC, Farsley Celtic FC and Spennymoor Town FC. 

Statement - Ben Blackmore

Ben Blackmore has been found guilty of breaching three of the RFL’s Operational Rules, and suspended for 10 weeks – effective from May 24.

CAS decisions in a number of matters involving Russian athletes

Christian Coleman v World Athletics: CAS confirms the ADRV (3 whereabouts failures within 12 months) but reduces the period of ineligibility imposed on Christian Coleman to 18 months

INTERPOL Integrity in Sport Bi-Weekly Bulletin 16-29 March 2021

U.S. weightlifting athlete Susanne Williams accepts sanctions for anti-doping rule violation

USADA announced today that Susanne Williams, of Fort Valley, Ga., an athlete in the sport of weightlifting, has accepted a four-year suspension for an anti-doping rule violation.

Rugby League player Carr banned for four years

Adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee sanctions Yves Jean-Bart

Rugby Union player Brown banned for four years

Rugby union player Kurt Brown has been banned from all sport for a period of four years following a first Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV).

Rugby player banned for four years for anti-doping violation

Mr Perry provided an out of competition urine sample at his home on 28 October 2019. The sample was found to contain an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for oxandrolone and its metabolites. Oxandrolone is a non-specified substance on the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List 2019.

Footballer banned for two years after failing drug test

Professional footballer for Barnsley FC, Bambo Diaby has been banned from all sport for a period of two years following an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV).

WADA welcomes decision of French court in Diack case

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) welcomes the decision by the Correctional Tribunal in Paris, France, to convict six people, including the former President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF, today World Athletics), Lamine Diack, on charges of corruption linked to the Russian doping scandal.

Sanction: Weightlifting receives sanction for presence, use and possession of a prohibited substance

Sport Integrity Australia acknowledges the decision of the Australian Weightlifting Federation to impose a four-year ban on athlete Aaron Kroll for the presence of a metabolite of a prohibited substance, the use of a prohibited substance and the possession of a prohibited substance.

Kitchener and Piutau accept disciplinary charges

Kitchener was shown a red card by referee Wayne Barnes in the 79th minute of the match between Worcester Warriors and Bristol Bears on Friday 4 September 2020. Piutau was cited by independent citing commissioner Tony Diprose following the same match. In both cases this was for punching or striking, contrary to World Rugby Law 9.12.

Esports Integrity Commission Update on MDL Match Fixing Investigation

Approximately eighteen months ago and on several occasions since, ESIC has received suspicious bet alerts through our global integrity monitoring framework which led us to establish an investigation into potential match-fixing activity in the MDL tournament series administered by one of our members, ESEA (a subsidiary operation of ESL). As we consider this matter to be of industry concern due to social media speculation, we have chosen to provide an update as we begin to finalise our investigation.

Incident of Misconduct - Crowd Control Nuneaton Borough FC, Southern League

Para athlete Caio Pereira receives four-year ban for anti-doping rule violation

Brazilian returned an adverse analytical finding for a prohibited substance in a urine sample provided after competing at Lima 2019 Parapan Am Games

German tennis player banned for 12 months

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has today confirmed that German tennis player Dario Drebenstedt has been banned from the sport for 12 months and fined $5000 after being found guilty of several breaches of Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) rules. The offenses all took place at a tournament in Egypt in 2021 and related to an attempt to buy a wild card and attempted corrupt approaches to other players.

Decisions of CAF Disciplinary Board – 14 July 2021

CAF Disciplinary Board held a meeting on 14 July 2021 and took the following decisions:

Two Uzbekistan tennis players banned

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has confirmed that two tennis players from Uzbekistan, Temur Ismailov and Amal Sultanbekov, have been banned from the sport, following an investigation into match fixing at a tournament in 2019.

CAF Statement following acts of stadium misbehaviours in Benin

CAF is investigating the incident that took place during the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup final fixture between Raja Club Athletic and JS Kabylie in Cotonou, Benin on Saturday, 10 July 2021. 

AAA Arbitrator Imposes Four-Year Sanction on Weightlifting Athlete James Nelson for Anti-Doping Rule Violation

USADA announced today that an independent arbitrator from the American Arbitration Association (AAA) has concluded the case of weightlifting athlete James Nelson, of Fort Worth, Texas, and has determined that Nelson should receive a four-year sanction for his anti-doping rule violation. The decision comes after the facts of the case were presented and fully argued at an evidentiary hearing on June 10, 2021.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduces the life ban imposed on Samon Siasia to five years

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued its decision in the appeal filed by the Nigerian football coach Samson Siasia against the decision rendered by the Adjudicatory Chamber of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) on 11 April 2019 (the Challenged Decision). In such decision, Samson Siasia was found guilty of infringement of article 1 (bribery) of the 2009 FIFA Code of Ethics and sanctioned with a life ban from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level (administrative, sports or any other) and a fine of CHF 50,000 was imposed on him.

Sun Yang to miss Tokyo Olympics despite ban being reduced

Three-time Olympic champion Sun Yang will miss the Tokyo Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced his eight-year ban to four years and three months.

Erik Koch Accepts Sanction for Violation of UFC Anti-Doping Policy

USADA announced today that Erik Koch, of Cedar Rapids, Wisc., has accepted an 18-month sanction for a violation of the UFC^® Anti-Doping Policy (UFC ADP).

CAS reduces the period of ineligibility imposed on Andre Onana for anti-doping rule violation from 12 months to 9 months

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued its decision in the appeal arbitration proceedings between André Onana and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in relation to the decision issued by the UEFA Appeals Body on 4 February 2021 (the Challenged Decision) in which André Onana was found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation without “significant fault” (furosemide, a specified substance on the WADA Prohibited List) and sanctioned with a 12-month suspension

Three Belgian Tennis players provisionally suspended

Three Belgian tennis players Romain Barbosa, Arthur de Greef and Alex Witmeur who are the subject of an ongoing criminal and ITIA investigation, have today been provisionally suspended by AHO Professor Richard McLaren.

Decision rendered by the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS ADD) - Timofey Lapshin - Biathlon

WADA Statement on Alex Schwazer Case

In light of questions that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) continues to receive from the media and other stakeholders concerning the case of Italian race walker, Alex Schwazer, WADA wishes to share the following statement, which re-confirms its position on this matter (including its 18 February 2021 statement) and addresses some key questions of this case.

On 18 February, an investigating judge in Bolzano, Judge Walter Pelino, made a series of accusations against World Athletics, the anti-doping laboratory in Cologne, and WADA. These were not findings in a judgment rendered after a trial of those three bodies, in which they had been properly confronted with the accusations and given a full and fair opportunity to defend themselves. Instead, they were made in a pre-trial decree issued by the investigating judge in criminal proceedings relating to Alex Schwazer. Nor does WADA, World Athletics, or the Cologne laboratory have any right of appeal against these accusations.  

Seeing Red: Breaking Down World Rugby’s Disciplinary Procedures Following O’Mahony & Fagerson’s Six Nations Dismissals

Published Friday, 19 March 2021.

Rugby Union athlete receives sanction

U.S. cycling athlete Robert Pelegrin accepts sanction for anti-doping rule violation

Rugby Football Union (RFU) v Kurt Brown

A decision in the case of Rugby Football Union (RFU) v Kurt Brown has been published by the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP).

Track and field athlete receives sanction

Sport Integrity Australia acknowledges the decision of Athletics Australia to impose a four-year ban on athlete Jessica Peris for the Presence and Use of prohibited substances.

Rugby Union player Perry banned for four years

Rugby union player Arran Perry has been banned from all sport for a period of four years following a first Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) for the use of a banned substance.

Mountain bike and cycling athlete's sanction extended

Sport Integrity Australia acknowledges the decision of Cycling Australia and Mountain Bike Australia to impose an additional four-year ban on athlete Ondrej Slezak for breaching his period of Ineligibility.

Piutau appeal dismissed

Bristol Bears' Siale Piutau appeared before an online independent disciplinary panel on Thursday 10 September. He appealed his three match suspension, which was given for punching or striking Worcester Warriors' Andrew Kitchener contrary to World Rugby Law 9.12.

Owen Farrell receives five-match suspension

Farrell was shown a red card by referee Christophe Ridley in the 61st minute of the match between Saracens and Wasps on Saturday 5 September 2020. This was for a dangerous tackle on Wasps’ Charlie Atkinson, contrary to World Rugby Law 9.13.

Esports Integrity Commission Opens Inquiry into Historical Spectator Bug Exploitation

On 2 September ESIC issued sanction outcomes against three coaches who utilised a bug in the CS:GO spectator mode in order to achieve an advantage (“Spectator Bug”). ESIC has since reviewed a large quantity of evidence and believes that it is in the best interest of the industry to open an inquiry into the potential exploitation of this bug as far back as 2016. In doing so, ESIC will contract the services of Michal Slowinski and Steve Dudenhoeffer (the discoverers of wrongful use of this exploit) to work with ESIC in the fulfilment of the inquiry.

Rugby Union players Stafford and Kay banned from sport

Rugby Union players Joseph Stafford and Rupert Kay have been banned from all sport, following the commission of two separate Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs). Joseph Stafford has been banned for three and a half years for Evading Sample Collection, while Rupert Kay has been banned for two years for Complicity.