HEAD boss attacks anti-doping agency over Sharapova’s ban

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Maria Sharapova was criticized and dumped by many sponsors for being banned after she was found positive to Meldonium. That doesn’t apply for her racket sponsor HEAD.

The position

Johan Eliasch, the HEAD chairman, was rather explicit in June when he defended Maria with an official statement. After Sharapova’s ban was reduced from 2 years to 15 months, Eliasch attacks the anti-doping agencies with the following communicate.

“HEAD would like to firstly congratulate Maria on justice being served. However, It must not detract from the fact that she had been taking a legitimately prescribed medication that the anti-doping agencies were aware of for ten years. It is wholly unfair that Maria, an upstanding individual of the highest moral and ethical conduct, was banned from playing competitive tennis while not actively engaging in any behaviors [sic] that could be considered cheating.

This calls into question the revelation about certain Olympic athletes who were granted therapeutic use exemptions for substances that could most certainly be considered performance enhancing, while Meldonium has yet to be proven under any significant clinical testing to have any performance enhancing benefits.”

 

UNFAIRLY TREATED?