Five Moroccan athletes suspended by IAAF for anti-doping rule violation

The International Athletics Federation (IAAF) confirmed on November 15 the suspension of five Moroccan athletes for anti-doping rule violations, Le Matin said yesterday. They are Amine El Manaoui, Abdelmajid El Hissouf, Abdelhadi Falil, Abdellah Tagharrafet and Nader Belhanbel.

The IAAF suspects that Nader Belhanbel, a Moroccan athlete competing primarily in the 800 metres, attempted to use prohibited substance. Last July, his name was added to the list of Russian hackers Fancy Bears who had managed to hack data from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The athlete has been suspended for 21 months, ending on December 11, 2017, after being suspended on a provisional basis, in accordance with IAAF rule 38.2, due to malfunctions in his hematological passport, the Moroccan daily said.

The IAAF leniency towards Morocco is partly explained by its collaboration with WADA. In his confession to Damien Ressiot, director of the control department of the French Anti-Doping Agency and revealed by Fancy Bears, he admitted to having taken erythropoietin (EPO). He also unveiled the names of the network from which he obtained this prohibited substance.

On the other hand, Amine El Manaoui, Abdelmajid El Hissouf, Abdelhadi Falil and Abdellah Tagharrafet were sentenced were suspended to four years. They are supposed to resume the competition in 2020.