Dave Chidley/CFL.ca
TORONTO — Under the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the CFL Players’ Association’s joint drug policy, Calgary Stampeders wide receiver Richie Sindani has been suspended for two games after testing positive for the banned substances Methandienone and Stanozolol.
Players who test positive or fail to provide a sample face a two-game suspension for a first violation, a nine-game suspension for a second violation, a one-year suspension for a third violation, and a lifetime ban for a fourth violation.
Under the policy, suspended players cannot participate in regular season or post-season games. It is at the Club’s discretion whether to allow players to participate in other team activities, such as training camp, pre-season games, practices and meetings.
All players are subject to mandatory drug testing following a positive result and are required to participate in an assessment and clinical evaluation to determine if additional counselling is needed. The policy mandates a total number of tests equal to the number of players in the CFL. Testing is ongoing and is conducted year-round.
The Stampeders released the following statement regarding Sindani’s suspension on Friday:
The Calgary Stampeders fully support the joint policy on performance-enhancing drugs and we were very disappointed when informed of Richie’s violation. The team trusts he will learn from his mistake and avoid another occurrence. This incident once again proves players need to be fully cognizant about the supplements they are taking.
The team will have no further comment on the matter.
