Gilas Asian Games hero Brownlee fails doping test

MANILA, Philippines -- Gilas Pilipinas’ naturalized player Justin Brownlee failed a doping test a day after the team won the gold medal in men’s basketball, the International Testing Agency (ITA) said.

According to the ITA, Brownlee’s urine sample returned an adverse analytical finding for carboxy-THC, a specified prohibited substance, according to the prohibited list of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Carboxy-THC is the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.

Anti-doping rule violation: The ITA reports that a sample collected from basketball player Justin Brownlee (Philippines) during the@19thAGofficial has returned an Adverse Analytical Finding for a specified prohibited substance.

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“The sample was collected by the ITA at the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 during an in-competition anti-doping control performed on 7 October 2023. The Sample Collection Authority was the China Anti-Doping Agency,” the ITA’s statement read.

Gilas won the gold medal over Jordan on October 6.

In the semifinals, the Nationals defeated China in come-from-behind fashion, thanks to Brownlee’s heroics.

The ITA added that Brownlee has been informed of the case, and he has the right to request the analysis of the B-samples.

“The matter will thereafter be referred to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport for adjudication under the OCA Anti-Doping Rules,” the ITA said.

In another statement, the ITA also flagged Jordan's Sami Bzai after his sample returned a finding for dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone metabolite, a non-specified prohibited substance. 

He is the second Filipino athlete flagged by the ITA in the recently-concluded Hangzhou Asian Games.

Cyclist Ariana Evangelista was also flagged and suspended after erythropoietin was found in her blood and urine samples.