“Nikita Kurbanov can continue to play basketball” – Kommersant FM
[ad_1]
Former CSKA basketball captain Nikita Kurbanov was disqualified for three months due to cocaine found in the athlete’s doping test. The website of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency reports this. Will this story put an end to the career of a famous basketball player? Kommersant FM sports commentator Vladimir Osipov looked into it.
The story of Nikita Kurbanov stretches back to October 2023. Then he unexpectedly suspended his career, and neither the army club nor the player himself commented on this decision. And now official information appears from RUSADA that the basketball player has been punished for using cocaine. In the sports world, the news caused an incredible resonance. Still, this substance is, to put it mildly, serious.
The Internet even began to discuss the possible criminal prosecution of Kurbanov. But sports lawyer Artem Patsev, who was involved in this case, told Kommersant FM that it definitely won’t come to that:
“No crime was committed, the detected concentration is too small to talk about something more serious.
It’s clear that everyone was attracted by the name of the substance, but to equate this case with some common crime related to the trade, purchase or use of drugs is, to say the least, unfounded.”
As a result, it became known that the athlete was disqualified for three months, and this period ends on January 19. That is, Nikita Kurbanov can continue to play basketball. There is, of course, debate about the softness or severity of the punishment, but from a legal point of view, all formalities have been observed, Artem Patsev emphasizes: “Absolutely everything was done within the framework of anti-doping rules. In this case, if we talk about the validity of such a period of disqualification, then this is directly provided for by the World Anti-Doping Code and all-Russian anti-doping standards.”
But, besides the legal aspects, there is public opinion. The fact is that Nikita Kurbanov for a long time was, I’m not afraid of this word, a symbol of CSKA basketball, a team captain who was never involved in any scandals. In addition, the basketball player is already 37 years old.
Will he be able to continue his career after everything that happened and go on the court as if nothing had happened? Olympic champion Sergei Tarakanov hopes so: “I am absolutely sure that this is an accident, emotions, a coincidence. I know that Nikita is an exemplary athlete, family man, husband and father. I am sure that those who respect his talent, aspirations and work will try to forget about it, because everyone can make mistakes in life.”
Of course, a lot will depend on how CSKA behaves in this situation. But, most likely, the army captain will return to the team, says basketball commentator Nikita Zagdai: “His career will continue. Nikita Kurbanov is a veteran and team captain. He was the main player of the army club, if not the main star.
The athlete has not played for three months, and in any case he needs a little time to return to condition. To summarize, I’m looking forward to seeing him on the floor in the spring.”
Let everyone decide for themselves how to react to all this. But especially for all active athletes, I want to emphasize that for the past year and a half, RUSADA and the Ministry of Internal Affairs have been operating in close cooperation. And information about all athletes who have even a minute concentration of any drugs in their blood goes to law enforcement agencies.
Everything is clear with us – Telegram channel “Kommersant FM”.
[ad_2]
Source link
