TAIPEI, Aug 26 (Reuters) - A Taiwanese player who failed a
drugs test before the Beijing Olympics has been suspended from
international action for one year over the use of a banned
substance, the island’s sports association said on Tuesday.
Third baseman Chang Tai-shan may not participate in the
March 2009 World Baseball Classic or other competitions until
next August due to his use of a chemical that he claimed came
from fertility drugs, the International Baseball Federation
decided.
The news came as a loss to Chang, who had played for the
island’s team since 1998, and for the club itself, the Chinese
Taipei Baseball Association said in a statement.
“Even though this banned substance has no way of enhancing
performance, it is still listed as an International Olympic
Committee (IOC) banned substance, causing Chang a lifetime of
regret,” the statement added.
“At the same time, the national team will suffer a loss to
its strength.”
Chang was suspended on Aug. 13 and sat out his team’s
opening Olympic win over the Netherlands. He apologised to the
baseball federation at a hearing during the Olympics and said
he had been using fertility drugs.
(Reporting by Ralph Jennings; Editing by John O’Brien)