{"id":17827,"date":"2023-10-25T13:34:08","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T13:34:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/brooksby-banned-for-18-months-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-10-25T13:34:08","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T13:34:08","slug":"brooksby-banned-for-18-months-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/brooksby-banned-for-18-months-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Brooksby banned for 18 months | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nLONDON:
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

US tennis player Jenson Brooksby<\/a> has been banned for 18 months after missing three drug tests in a 12-month window, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said in a statement on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

The 22-year-old from California, who reached a career high world ranking of 33rd in 2022, will be eligible to return to competition in January 2025.<\/p>\n

The ITIA said in a statement Brooksby’s suspension had been confirmed following a meeting on October 10 involving the player and witnesses including a doping control officer.<\/p>\n

Brooksby admitted missing the first and third drug tests, but had challenged the validity of the second test he was judged to have missed.<\/p>\n

However the tribunal dismissed his arguments and imposed an 18-month sanction.<\/p>\n

“Having considered the evidence, the tribunal found that Brooksby’s degree of fault for the missed test was high,” the ITIA said in a statement.<\/p>\n

The panel said a doping control officer who attempted to carry out the second test had taken “all reasonable steps” to locate Brooksby at the time.<\/p>\n

“The whereabouts programme is a vital tool in maintaining a clean sport and no-one wants players to fall foul of the rules in this way,” ITIA chief executive Karen Moorhouse said in a statement.<\/p>\n

“We urge all players to take the necessary steps to ensure that they are meticulous with their whereabouts filings.”<\/p>\n

Brooksby indicated he planned to appeal the suspension, vowing to “keep fighting” in a post on Instagram after his punishment was announced.<\/p>\n

“I have never taken a banned substance in my life, and I was open and honest with the ITIA throughout my case,” Brooksby said.<\/p>\n

“I accepted that two of my missed tests were my fault, but I continue to maintain that my June 4, 2022 missed test should be set aside.”<\/p>\n

Brooksby said the doping control officer had arrived at his hotel on June 4 to be told that he had not checked in.<\/p>\n

In fact, Brooksby’s room had been booked in the name of his physio at that time.<\/p>\n

He said that while asked his hotel to add his name to the reservation several days before June 4, staff told the doping control officer he had not checked in.<\/p>\n

Brooksby said that the doping officer called his cellphone at 6.56am \u2013 but he had not heard the call because it was switched to silent.<\/p>\n

“Had the doping control officer called my hotel room even once, I would have for sure been tested because I was awake and had nothing to hide,” he wrote.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n