The Spanish women's hockey team's place at the Beijing Olympics is in jeopardy after it emerged that two of its players tested positive for banned substances at an Olympic qualifying event in Baku last month. But Spanish hockey authorities have said there is evidence that the positives were part of a deliberate attempt to sabotage the team's chances during the tournament in Azerbaijan.
"The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has notified us about them (positive tests)," Spanish Hockey Federation (RFEH) president Marti Colomer told sports daily AS on Wednesday. "We believe the positives were for a powerful stimulant, an amphetamine or something like that." Players and coaching staff complained about the organisation of the Olympic qualifying tournament on their return from Azerbaijan.
They said four members of the team had collapsed in the hotel prior to their match against Kenya having inhaled gas that had escaped from the air conditioning system. They also complained that players were unable to sleep after being bombarded by telephone calls in their hotel rooms. Others felt ill after drinking water given to them by organisers during matches.
Spain qualified for the Olympics after beating hosts Azerbaijan 3-2 in the final. However, according to FIH rules, if more than one member of a team tests positive, the whole team will be thrown out of the tournament.
If Spain were disqualified, Azerbaijan would take their place in Beijing. "It would be the worst thing that could ever happen. It would be terrible" Colomer told AS when asked about the possibility that Spain could be excluded. "We hope the FIH will realise that our girls were victims of sabotage. We had a terrible time there and now this has happened too.
"We are absolutely positive that the two girls had nothing to do with this. I would bet my life on it. "There is no room for suspicion, because this is an amateur sport and it would be stupid of them to get involved in doping in an Olympic year." Team coach Pablo Usoz supported the sabotage theory. "Everything that happened in Baku was a nightmare," he said. "They did all they could to upset us but they couldn't do it. I suspect the doping incidents were the final attempt to gain an Olympic place at our cost."
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