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The rider of an Arabian horse whose leg broke during an endurance race in France has been relieved of a 20-year sanction for doping and horse abuse, following the decision of an international appeals court.
In June 2020, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) penalized the rider, Shaik Abdul Aziz Bin Faisal Mohamed Al Qasimi, of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), following the October 2016 death of 10-year-old Castlebar Contraband during a 90-kilometer 1 race in Fontainebleau, France. The sanctions included a two-year suspension for the alleged use of xylazine, a prohibited substance that can lower heart rates, and an 18-year suspension for other alleged acts of horse abuse, including repeated nerve blocking in the affected leg which could mask pain that would otherwise red-flag a pending catastrophic injury and sores from poorly fitting tack. The FEI also required Al Qasimi to pay 17,500 Swiss francs ($19,300US) in fines and 15,000 Swiss francs ($16,500US) in l
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Senior Sports Editor
THE remaining hurdle in Patrice Motsepe’s path to the CAF presidency was cleared yesterday when the outgoing leader of African football, Ahmad Ahmad, failed to overturn the FIFA ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Although Ahmad received partial relief, with his ban being reduced from five to two years, and his fine also being slashed from US$200 000 to US$50 000, it won’t be enough to give him the muscle to force a postponement of the elections for his successor.
Had Ahmad been cleared of any wrong doing, he would have had the power to ask for a review of the decision by FIFA, to bar him from the contest, which was based on the world football governing body’s decision, to ban him from the game.
“The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) has issued its decision in the appeal filed by Mr Ahmad Ahmad against the decision of the Adjudicatory Chamber of the Fifa Ethics Committee issued on 19 November 2020 (grounds served on 21 January 2021) (the Challenged Decision). The Cas Panel has partially upheld the appeal and has reduced the length of the suspension imposed on Mr Ahmad to two years, starting today, less the period of suspension already served between 19 November 2020 and 29 January 2021, and has also reduced the fine, fixed now at CHF 50,000,” the statement read.
Monday’s judgement came as a blow to Ahmad’s ambition of extending his tenure at the helm of the African football governing body because he won’t be eligible to participate in the elections scheduled to take place in Rabat, Morocco on March 12.