The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has hit
back at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for their recent comments about the
case involving the former world number one
Jannik Sinner.
The 23-year-old, who is widely regarded as the best player currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category, has been in the news for the wrong reasons after being tested positive for banned substances on two occasions in March last year. However, despite that, Sinner managed to escape any ban.
The
ITIA, in a detailed verdict last year, announced that they
found the player innocent in the case. The player’s counsel claimed that the availability
of the substance in the player’s sample was because of receiving a cream for
the treatment of an injury from one member of the coaching staff.
Recently,
WADA spokesperson James Fitzgerald spoke about the
matter in detail, claiming that the ITIA’s decision was incorrect. "We
believe that the conclusion of no fault or negligence is incorrect under the
current rules, and we are requesting a suspension period of between one and two
years. WADA is not seeking to annul any results other than those already
imposed in the first instance.”
The ITIA has released a statement in response to the
comments from the WADA spokesperson where they clarified that the decision
regarding Sinner was taken following the guidelines provided by WADA.
“We acknowledge the announcement made by the World
Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), concerning the agreement reached between WADA and
Jannik Sinner to settle WADA’s appeal,” the statement said. ”The original
process was run according to the World Anti-Doping Code and Tennis Anti-Doping
Programme. Following a thorough
investigation by the ITIA (including advice from WADA accredited laboratories),
we were satisfied that the player had established the source of the prohibited
substance and that the breach was unintentional. Today’s outcome supports this finding. The
ITIA referred the matter to an independent panel which reached a decision of
"No Fault or Negligence” and therefore no suspension based on the facts
and their application of the rules. The three-month outcome was only possible
by agreement between WADA and the player.”