BBNZ Backs Drug Message
Tagged in: BBNZ News, Tall Blacks
Basketball New Zealand has accepted a Sports Tribunal of New Zealand decision to suspend Harbour Heat, NZ Breakers and Tall Blacks squad member Corey Webster until August 23, 2010, after he tested positive for cannabis use.
Corey returned a positive sample after the Harbour Heat v Bay Hawkes NBL game on May 21, 2010 and has served a provisional suspension since June 23, which was imposed before the Harbour Heat were due to play in the NBL quarter finals.
Corey admitted his violation in the Tribunal hearing. His suspension will mean that he will miss an opportunity to participate in the selection trials for the Tall Blacks team to travel to the FIBA World Basketball Championship for Men in Turkey starting on August 28.
Tall Blacks head coach Nenad Vucinic says that hopefully Webster will learn from his mistake for the future.
“Life is all about making right choices and unfortunately Corey has made a wrong one,” says Vucinic. “He is not the only one that is paying the price for it and we all hope he will learn from that.
“His choice, unfortunately for all of us has taken him out of contention to make the team and participate in world championship in Turkey. Corey is a young player and I am sure that this chapter in his career will help him learn the lesson and help him becoming the player he is capable of.”
In accepting the decision, BBNZ chief executive Tim Hamilton said, “BBNZ wished to underline again the key message in its submissions to the Sports Tribunal, namely that BBNZ is committed to educating its athletes, participants and officials about the positive effects of being drug-free in sport and in life – and is not prepared to tolerate the taking of prohibited drugs.
“For this reason, we are continuing to work with Drug Free Sport to enhance our education for all members of the basketball community and remind them that BBNZ will continue to back this up with a zero tolerance approach to infringements.”
BBNZ supports the measures announced by the Breakers to provide Corey with support in the form of counseling, mentoring and a number of strict conditions (including the imposition of a community service obligation) to assist him to rehabilitate.
