Brisbane, Australia - MUSLIM boxer Omar Shaick was yesterday handed a two-year ban for refusing to give a urine sample because his religion prohibits him from exposing his genitals to strangers.
Shaick, a 20-year-old Queenslander, was training in Brisbane in June last year when he was approached by Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority officials for a random drug test.
He steadfastly refused to co-operate, on faith grounds.
A month later, he won the national under-19 middleweight amateur title.
ASADA chairman Richard Ings said the ruling, handed down by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, was a strong endorsement of the World Anti-Doping Agency Code.
"One of the key foundations of the WADA code is that all athletes, irrespective of religious belief, must provide a sample," Ings said.
"It is common and widespread that people of this religious belief do provide samples."
Trainer Chris McMullen said Shaick had not boxed competitively for the past 10 months, but wanted to stay in the sport. He said Shaick was a deeply religious man who had spoken with the drug officials for more than two hours, offering alternative ways of providing a sample.
Shaick had told his trainer early on in his career about his inability to comply with the anti-doping code. "He said: 'If it ever happens, I won't be able to do it'," McMullen said.
He said he and Shaick would have to sit down and consider their options.
Mr Ings said that as a registered boxer, Shaick could still be tested again at any time, regardless of his suspension.
Boxing Australia chairman Ted Tanner said he felt for the young boxer, who he predicted could one day represent Australia. "There are no winners in situations like this," he said. "He's a champion young boxer and I'm just disappointed that unfortunately he has placed himself in this position. The WADA code may not be a perfect document but it's a good code."
Boxing Queensland secretary Allan Nicolson, who met Shaick when he was an 11-year-old hopeful, called the code "archaic" and "nasty".