Boxing:European Youth silver medallist Gary Sweeney has been handed a nine-month ban for a doping violation. The 18-year-old light-heavyweight from Ballinrobe tested positive for a prohibited substance during in-competition testing last October.
Sweeney had appealed against the length of the sanction but a hearing found “that in the circumstances of the case that nine months is an appropriate sanction”. As the suspension was dated from the collection of the sample, Sweeney will be free to resume competition in July.
Sweeney’s coach, his brother Martin, was suspended for 27 months after he admitted providing the teenager with the banned substance furosemide.
“Mr Martin Sweeney admitted to the Panel a violation of Article 2.8 of the Rules by providing a Prohibited Substance to an athlete, namely, Gary Sweeney to whom he is coach,” the Irish Sports Council and Irish Amateur Boxing Association announced in a statement. “The Panel noted that this is the first case in which an anti-doping rule violation has been admitted by or established in the case of a coach.
“Mr Martin Sweeney was sanctioned, subject to his right to appeal within 14 days from 3rd April 2012, by the imposition on him of a period of ineligibility of twenty seven months.”