My thoughts about Kiefer Ravena’s FIBA
suspension
by rick olivares
When Kiefer Ravena entered the
press conference area of the training area of the 7th Floor of the
Launchpad building last Monday evening of the 28th of May, he
deliberately avoided eye contact with anyone. For the third time in his young
life, the world was a cacophony of social media chatter, chaos, and
uncertainty.
After the press conference where
it was announced that the young cager was being suspended by FIBA for 18
months, he bravely faced the media for one-on-one interviews. Unlike in
previous interviews, he wasn’t smiling. Who would to be honest at a time like
this?
I have known Ravena for quite
some time. In fact, his parents are old friends dating back to our college
days. Furthermore, at one point in our lives, his parents, then newlyweds, became
neighbors. We used to play hoops in their backyard. You can take away certain
things in Kiefer’s life and he’ll be fine. However, outside his family and
loved ones, take basketball away from him, there’s this fear. It is what he
wanted and they have been his lifelong goals.
During his third year in college
when he hurt himself while shooting a commercial, it was the first time in his
life where there was this genuine fear of the unknown. This was no ordinary
injury and he wasn’t sure how bad it was. How bad was it? Well, it had an
effect on Ateneo’s Season 76 when the Blue Eagles were shooting for a sixth
straight UAAP crown.
And now, there’s this… 18 months
away from basketball. International basketball is certain. It is his playing in
the PBA has to be clarified. I can only imagine how difficult it is to be
sidelined and not because of an injury. And well, in front of the media,
colleagues, and friends, he’s handling it well. But I am sure, inside, he’s
really hurting.
It’s a costly mistake for sure.
However, in some ways, he’s still
lucky. Doping sanctions range – depending on the severity – from suspension to
a lifetime ban. Eighteen months might be too long or even harsh, but at least,
he can come back. He can take heart that tennis star Maria Sharapova’s initial
two-year ban for using performance enhancing drugs was commuted to 15 months.
Of course, Masha is altogether different; a global superstar who is a magnet
for crowds and dollars. Not to mention ratings.
The suspension hurts NLEX because
he has been the sliver of hope for the franchise. He’s on his way to bagging
that Rookie of the Year Award and even possibly a spot in the Mythical Five selection.
As for Gilas, Kiefer has been one of the most consistent performers with a lot
of international experience under his belt. And he has also done in on the 3x3
court. If you ask me, he was our best performer in the 2017 FIBA 3x3 World Cup
in Nantes, France as he got it done on both ends of the court more than any
other player.
When he does come back, any slot
isn’t a certainty. For all you know, that void might be filled.
During the press conference,
national team coach Chot Reyes sat and listened. His face didn’t reveal much.
But knowing him, he was already thinking forward about who should replace
Ravena in the national team. Having Ravena play for a MVP team was a coup
because he didn’t need to badger for help. Fortunately for him, Meralco’s Baser
Amer seems to have found his deadly form.
I can speculate ad infinitum
about who will take Ravena’s place but that’s the coach’s job.
During the presser, SBP President
Al Panlilio noted that WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) has a voluminous file of
banned substances. This has to be processed with someone familiar with these
substances in order to educate athletes everywhere. Despite that, Panlilio was
also quick to say that “ignorance is not an excuse.”
It is good that the Philippine
Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission will work hand-in-hand
in educating athletes and the public about PEDs and putting up doping control
mechanisms. It is no doubt going to be costly, but this will be good in the
long run.
If you go to FIBA’s website, they
have alarmingly reported a high number of adverse findings for the Higenamine –
one of the three substances found in Ravena’s urine sample -- from various
geographical regions.
According to scientific reports, higenamine
is used as a workout supplement for improving athletic performance. On the
other hand, it is also used for weight loss, cough, asthma, heart failure, and
erectile dysfunction.
The substance is taken from the
plant, aconite. And yet, the side effects – and I assume this is from continued
usage - are heart problems and worse, death.
This is FIBA’s adverse analytical
findings from 2010-16.
|
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
|
Atypical Findings
|
2
|
3
|
0
|
7
|
6
|
8
|
11
|
|
Adverse Analytical Findings (AAF)
|
10
|
13
|
16
|
1
|
3
|
21
|
6
|
|
Anti-Doping Rule Violations resulting
from an AAF
|
10
|
13
|
16
|
1
|
1
|
6
|
2
|
|
Non-analytical AAF
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
The other two banned substances
were 4-Methylhexane and 1,3 Dimethylbutylamine.
What is Methylhexane?
Like 1,3 Dimethylbutylamine, it
is banned by WADA and the US Food and Drug Administration. It is commonly found
in supplements that claim to help people lose weight, improve athletic
performance, and improve brain function. There is concern that it might increase the chance of side
effects such as rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure, shaking, and
anxiety. I got that verbatim from WebMD.
Of course, a one-time use doesn’t
mean that this will happen. It is the habitual usage.
Nevertheless, whether fortuitously
or not, everyone should reflect on this. What are we putting into our bodies in
pursuit of perfection? Someone in fact asked during the press conference why
was a pre-work out drink important? In this day and age of athletic excellence
and gold, shaving off a second or two in finishes, in increasing one’s speed
and so on, are an edge.
In the NBA, there hasn’t been
much in terms of PEDs abuse (but that depends on which side of the spectrum of
debate you belong to). Most recently, the Washington Wizards’ Jodie Meeks was suspended
for all the play-offs and the start of the 2018-19 season for testing positive
for two PEDs.
Ravena, unfortunately, is the
first Filipino athlete suspended for failing a doping test. The country has
never had an athlete who has was suspended nor had a medal or trophy returned
for such a violation. Of course, that doesn’t mean that there is no problem
either. And that is an entirely different story
Nevertheless, this is all
unchartered waters not only for Ravena, but also all athletes and local sports
federations.
Kiefer Ravena headed into this
tough press conference not looking anyone in the eye to mask the pain. But
everyone, should look into this matter with two focused eyes because to be
honest, we should all learn from this.
