Drug allegations rubbish, says Al Jasmi

Dubai: The UAE's Obaid Al Jasmi has defended himself as clean following a doping charge against him last year.

"I have always played fair and I am clean," Al Jasmi told Gulf News.

"I have never taken any illegal substance to boost my performance in the water," he added.

The Fina Doping Panel arrived at a decision last month clearing the UAE swimmer with a warning and reprimand. Tests held during the Pan-Arab Games held in Egypt in November last year found the substance Ephedrine (Class S.6 Stimulants) in his sample.

"All that is rubbish," Al Jasmi said.

"The Egyptians made a mockery of the entire swimming competition. I did not take anything," he added.

Subsequently, Fina's Doping Control Review Board under the chairmanship of Andrew Pipe met with the UAE swimmer during the 9th Fina World Swimming Championships held in Manchester earlier this year.

"The panel understood my case and saw how a false case had been fabricated against me by the Egyptians," Al Jasmi said.

Ultimately, the panel decided to let the UAE swimmer go with a stern verbal warning.

"Everything was wrong at the Pan-Arab Games and the officials from Fina knew about this," he said.