New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS): The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirmed that it lodged an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against Jannik Sinner, who was found by an independent tribunal of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) to bear no fault or negligence having twice tested positive for clostebol, a prohibited substance, in March this year.

The Anti-Doping body is seeking that the player should be banned for a period between one to two years.

“It is WADA’s view that the finding of “no fault or negligence” was not correct under the applicable rules. WADA is seeking a period of ineligibility of between one and two years. WADA is not seeking a disqualification of any results, save that which has already been imposed by the tribunal of first instance. World number one ranked men’s singles star Janik Sinner has been found in breach of two Anti-Doping Rule Violations under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP), having twice tested positive for the prohibited substance clostebol,” read the statement by WADA.

On March 10, during the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, a test conducted in the competition revealed the presence of clostebol, an illegal anabolic steroid that is listed as a non-specified drug on the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) prohibited list. This was an adverse analytical finding (AAF).

On March 18, an additional test also detected clostebol metabolite. If a player is found guilty of such offenses, the standard punishment is four years of ineligibility. However the player avoided suspension following appeals to an independent tribunal chair.

“The player has the right to apply to an independent tribunal chair appointed by Sport Resolutions to have that provisional suspension lifted.?As such, after each positive test, a provisional suspension was applied. On both occasions, Sinner successfully appealed the provisional suspension and so has been able to continue playing,” read a statement by the International Tennis Integrity Agency.

According to Sinner, the substance entered his system after coming in contact with a support staff member who had been applying an ‘over the counter spray’ which contained slight levels of clostebol and repeated massaged by the said support staff member resulted in contamination.

"The player explained that the substance had entered their system as a result of contamination from a support team member, who had been applying an over-the-counter spray (available in Italy) containing clostebol to their own skin to treat a small wound. That support team member applied the spray between March 5-13, during which time they also provided daily massages and sports therapy to Sinner, resulting in unknowing transdermal contamination," further added the statement by ITIA.