Beck says his drink was spiked

Drugs in sport/Tennis: Slovakia's Karol Beck, banned from tennis on Monday for two years after a positive drug test, believes an acquaintance spiked his drinks in a night club.

In a tearful press conference yesterday, Beck denied taking performance- enhancing products and said he had one other possible explanation for the failed test - that he had accidentally taken one of his mother's asthma pills.

Beck tested positive for the anabolic agent clenbuterol during Slovakia's Davis Cup semi-final win over Argentina in September, the sport's ruling body (ITF) said on Monday.

The player believes his drink was spiked during a night out earlier that month in Bratislava. "I was at a night club with members of Slovakia's professional tennis circle," he said. "I never thought something like this could happen, but I have my suspicions who it was . . . Slovaks are jealous of success."

He vowed to appeal against his ban and said he had filed charges with Slovak police against the unknown culprits who ruined his career.

ATHLETICS: A sports court postponed the doping case involving Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou yesterday after a key arbitrator quit his post. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the final court of appeal for sports disputes, had been due to hear evidence on February 22nd-23rd before ruling on the sprinters' alleged doping violations at the Athens Olympics.

But the hearing was postponed "to a later date" when CAS said the Canadian president of the "arbitral panel", Yves Fortier, had resigned.

Lawyers for Kenteris and Thanou, who failed to show up for a drugs test hours before the start of the 2004 Games, had earlier this month filed a motion to remove Fortier because of a conflict of interest.

"In his resignation letter addressed to CAS, Fortier emphasised that he was deeply troubled by the accusations raised against him personally by the two Greek athletes and by the Greek Athletics Federation," a CAS statement said.

The statement said counsel for the sprinters had challenged Fortier's continued appointment on the grounds of an alleged conflict of interest.

"Two months ago, a partner of Fortier accepted a mandate from the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), which is not a party to this arbitration procedure, in a matter which has no connection with CAS. Fortier firmly rejected the allegations made against him and reiterated his full independence in this matter. However, he has decided to resign in order that the arbitration procedure could go on in an atmosphere of confidence and serenity."

The Canadian will be replaced by a new president of the panel and a new procedural calendar will be established.