The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has confirmed that Bastián Malla, a 26-year-old tennis player from Chile has accepted a charge under the 2022 Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP) for the presence of Cannabis. The player has been banned from tennis for a period of one month, provided he completes a treatment programme approved by the ITIA.
Mr Malla, who has an ATP career-high ranking of 362, was tested at an ATP Challenger event in Santiago, Chile in March 2022. The player admitted the Anti-Doping Rule Violation and asserted that his consumption was unrelated to sports performance, which was accepted by the ITIA.
The default period of ineligibility under Article 10.2.4.1 of the TADP is three months, which can be reduced to one month providing a suitable Substance of Abuse treatment programme is undertaken.
The one-month period of ineligibility commenced on the date of the player’s voluntary provisional suspension and concluded on Friday, 6 May 2022, on which date the ITIA advised him that he was free to return to tennis subject to him successfully completing the treatment programme. If he fails to comply with those conditions, he will be subject to an additional two months of ineligibility.
The ITIA is the delegated third party, under the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code) of the International Tennis Federation, the international governing body for the sport of tennis and signatory of the Code. The ITIA is responsible for the management and administration of anti-doping across professional tennis in accordance with the 2022 TADP.
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Notes to editors:
The ITIA charged the Player with the commission of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1 and/or Article 2.2 of the TADP involving a substance, Cannabis, which is a Substance of Abuse as defined in the TADP. TADP Articles 2.1 and 2.2 read:
“2.1 The presence of a Prohibited Substance or any of its Metabolites or Markers in a Player's Sample, unless the Player establishes that such presence is consistent with a TUE granted in accordance with Article 4.4.”
“2.2 Use or Attempted Use by a Player of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method, unless the Player establishes that such Use or Attempted Use is consistent with a TUE granted in accordance with Article 4.4.”
This ITIA issued decision is made in accordance with Article 10.2.4 of the TADP, which provides:
“10.2.4 Notwithstanding any other provision in Article 10.2, where the Anti-Doping Rule Violation involves a Substance of Abuse:
10.2.4.1 If the Player can establish that any ingestion or Use occurred Out-of-Competition and was unrelated to sport performance, the period of Ineligibility will be three months, provided that it may be further reduced to one month if the Player satisfactorily completes a Substance of Abuse treatment program approved by the ITIA. The period of Ineligibility established in this Article 10.2.4.1 is not subject to any reduction based on any provision in Article 10.6.
10.2.4.2 If the ingestion, Use, or Possession occurred In-Competition, and the Player can establish that the context of the ingestion, Use, or Possession was unrelated to sport performance, then the ingestion, Use, or Possession will not be considered intentional for purposes of Article 10.2.1 and will not provide a basis for a finding of Aggravating Circumstances under Article 10.4.”
Published 13 May 2022 12:00
