By Xinhua
Rio De Janeiro : Brazil’s Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) handed a 120-day suspension to football striker Romario who had been found using finasteride, a substance banned by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA).
Three STJD judges voted for the punishment, while two voted against it. Romario will not be able to play for or coach team Vasco da Gama during the suspension.
The striker was named head coach of the team in November. According to Vasco President Eurico Miranda, the striker was supposed to coach the squad during the 2008 Rio State Championship, to be held in the January-March period next year.
The club’s attorneys alleged that Romario had been using finasteride to treat his hair loss for 13 years, and that it was included on WADA’s list of restricted substances only two years ago. The agency decided to ban the use of finasteride among athletes because it may prevent the detection of substances that can enhance their performance.
The player’s doping test was carried out Oct 28, before a match against Palmeiras for the 2007 Brazilian League.
According to STJD President Judge Otavio Augusto Toledo, the decision on Romario’s case was influenced by the penalty set for team Internacional’s defender Marcao, who got caught in the anti doping control after using finasteride for the same alleged purpose as Romario’s.
Marcao was initially banished for 120 days, but he appealed and had his penalty reduced to 30 days. Vasco announced it will appeal for Romario too.