The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- No PGA ban for Vijay Singh over deer antler spray
- Clarke raring for action after long injury layoff
- Nafiizwan and Wee Wern can extend Malaysia’s dominance
| No PGA ban for Vijay Singh over deer antler spray Posted: 30 Apr 2013 05:50 PM PDT CHARLOTTE, North Carolina: Fiji's Vijay Singh will not be suspended by the US PGA Tour for doping as a result of using a deer antler spray known to contain a prohibited growth-enhancing substance. Tour commissioner Tim Finchem announced the decision on Tuesday after Singh had appealed a sanction brought against him by the tour after he admitted to using the deer antler spray in a January story in Sports Illustrated. The spray contained IGF-1, a substance listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and PGA Tour prohibitive lists and one the tour had warned players against using in August of 2011. While there is no blood test for IGF-1, PGA policy allows for a violation without a positive test if a player admits using a banned substance. But WADA had informed the PGA that it no longer considered using the deer antler spray to be prohibited unless it resulted in a positive test, a policy confirmed in writing to the tour on Tuesday in a letter from WADA. "In relation to your pending IGF-1 matter, it is the position of WADA, in applying the Prohibited List, that the use of 'deer antler spray' (which is known to contain small amounts of IGF-I) is not considered prohibited," WADA said. "On the other hand it should be known that deer antler spray contains small amounts of IGF-1 that may affect anti-doping tests. Players should be warned that in the case of a positive test for IGF-1 or HGH, it would be considered an Adverse Analytical Finding." That left Finchem to rule that Singh, 50, should not face a ban. "Based on this new information, and given WADA's lead role in interpreting the prohibited list, the tour deemed it only fair to no longer treat Mr. Singh's use of deer antler spray as a violation," Finchem said in a statement. The statement said Singh should have contacted PGA anti-doping program administrators before using the product to be certain it did not contain banned substances. Singh has won three major titles, including the 2000 Masters and the 1998 and 2004 PGA Championship. -AFP |
| Clarke raring for action after long injury layoff Posted: 30 Apr 2013 05:16 PM PDT JAKARTA: Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke yesterday said he hoped to make a strong return to action in Indonesia this week after missing the US Masters with a hamstring injury he picked up playing tennis. Clarke, the 2011 British Open winner who will play the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters in Jakarta, has endured a frustrating five-week spell on the sidelines after pulling his hamstring playing tennis with his children. "I was playing tennis with my kids and I thought I was 24 and not 44! Unfortunately I had to pull out from Augusta and Korea (the Ballantine's Championship) last week," he said, in a press release from organisers. "It has been a frustrating period. I'm not good at sitting and not doing anything. I've had intensive treatment on my hamstring and it is fine now," Clarke added. "I couldn't do anything. I could hardly walk, hit golf balls or putt. I had to sit at home and watch (the Masters). I only watched the last round on television because if I watched every day, then I would have been frustrated." Clarke will be one of the main attractions in Jakarta, along with four-time Major winner Ernie Els and New Zealand's Michael Campbell, the 2005 US Open champion. And the popular Clarke said he hoped to benefit from some advice from Lee Westwood, a two-time winner of the Indonesian Masters. "I haven't played here before but Lee has told me bits and pieces about the golf course," he said. "The greens and fairways are sensational here. It is set up tough but fair as well. It will be a good, fair and stern test." — AFP |
| Nafiizwan and Wee Wern can extend Malaysia’s dominance Posted: 30 Apr 2013 05:09 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia have dominated the men's and women's individual squash titles since 2000. And when the 17th edition of the Asian Individual Championships begin in Islamabad this week, reigning men's champion Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan and women's world No. 7 Low Wee Wern are confident of extending Malaysia's supremacy. World No. 1 Nicol David, who has won eight Asian titles, will not be defending her title, having decided to stay away due to the tense political situation in Pakistan. The men's competition begins today and the women's tomorrow. The 27-year-old Nafiizwan, who upset compatriot and top seed Ong Beng Hee in the final in Penang two years ago to win the Asian title, has been seeded fourth this time. The Kuala Terengganu-born world No. 40, is in high spirit after winning the Irish Open in Dublin last Saturday. The 22nd ranked Beng Hee, a four-time Asian individual champion, has been given top billing again. Nafiizwan, who arrived in Islamabad from Dublin yesterday, said that he wasn't concerned about the political situation in Pakistan. (Pakistan will hold its general election on May 11). "I'm not worried about the situation here although I was escorted by armed personnel from the airport to the hotel," said Nafiizwan. "I'm in top form ... played my best game of squash in the Irish Open. "I'm confident of another good outing in the Asian meet." Nafiizwan, who is in the bottom half of the draw, has a first-round bye and is likely to face ninth seed Farhan Zaman of Pakistan in the second round tomorrow. Nafiizwan's opponent in the quarter-finals is expected to be another Pakistani – sixth seed Aamir Atlas Khan. The Malaysian is scheduled to meet second seed Max Lee of Hong Kong in the semi-finals. The 33-year-old Beng Hee, who also has a first-round bye, should face his nemesis and local player Farhan Mehboob in the second round. The third Malaysian men's player, Mohd Asyraf Azan, who is drawn in the bottom half of the draw, will open his campaign against Mohammad Hossein Jafari of Iran in the first round today. Former three-time Asian junior champion Wee Wern, who will be playing in Pakistan for the first time, admitted that expectations would be high on her to win the Asian title in the absence of Nicol. "I want to enjoy my game despite the tense political situation in Pakistan. "I need to stay focused and take it one match at a time," said the Penangite, who lost to Annie Au of Hong Kong in the semi-finals of the last Asian meet in Penang in 2011. Top seed Wee Wern has a bye in the first round and should meet Sri Lanka's Mihiliya Methsarani in the quarter-finals. The other seeded players in Wee Wern's top half of the draw are two Hong Kong's Liu Tsz Ling and Joey Chan, who are seeded fifth and third respectively. Wee Wern is expected to face second seed Annie in the final. The other two Malaysian women players are fourth seed Delia Arnold and eighth seed Zulhijjah Azan, who are in the bottom half of the draw. Delia and Zulhijjah have also been given first-round byes. |
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