Iranian Athletes Found Guilty of Doping

Seven Iranian athletes, including two female cyclists, have been found guilty of taking illegal substances. 

Dr. Gholamreza Nowroozi, Secretary-General of Iran National Anti-Doping Organization (Iran ADO) made the announcement, which Iranian media reported on October 2. 

Iran ADO banned two female cyclists, Reyhaneh Khatooni and Fatemeh Yusephi, from competing for four years after World Anti-Doping Agency tests revealed they had taken illegal substances. No further verdicts were handed down regarding the other athletes. 

The ban followed tests analyzed at the World Anti-Doping Agency’s accredited laboratory in Cologne, Germany; the results were then reported to Iran ADO, which is part of the international anti-doping organization.

The other athletes who tested positive for doping are:

• Abolfazl Bahramsari (Volleyball)

• Hessam Jafari (Water Polo)

• Mehrdad Joshan-Pasand (Wushu)

• Hossein Abdi (Bodybuilding)

• Mohsen Entezari (Bodybuilding)

• Mehdi Karami (Weightlifting)

• Salar Bayat (Badminton)

All tested positive for Stanozolol and/or Metenolone; a synthetic anabolic steroid; and/or Clenbuterol, a performance-enhancing drug.

Iran’s first National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) laboratory was set up in 2007, at the same time Iran joined UNESCO’s  International Convention against Doping in Sport and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The lab later received accreditation as one of the 34 WADA-approved laboratories around the world.

Over the last three years, the Anti-Doping Committee has taken on the role of drug testing, taking it out of the hands of individual sports federations. Prior to this, Iranian Football, Basketball, Weightlifting and Wresting federations supervised the doping tests independently.

In Iran, doping scandals have been linked to weightlifting more than any other sport. In one of Iran's biggest scandals in 2006, 11 athletes were found guilty of taking illegal substances.  

The cyclists have 21 days to appeal the ruling.