Wheelchair tennis player fails drugs test

LONDON, Dec 21 (Reuters) Wheelchair tennis player Meliha Karic was banned for two years after testing positive for a metabolite, the International Tennis Federation today announced.

An independent anti-doping tribunal ruled that the 27-year-old Frenchwoman did not intend to enhance her performance by taking adrafinil or modafinil, which she ingested with her medication.

But she was punished for ''failing to take personal responsibility to ensure that the medication was permitted under the anti-doping rules''.

''The tribunal confirmed the commission of a doping offence and determined that Ms Karic should be suspended for two years, commencing 25 July 2006 and ending 24 July 2008, '' the ITF said in a statement.

''Her results should be disqualified at the British Open wheelchair tennis championships 2006 with loss of ranking points and prize money.'' She has three weeks to appeal the decision.

Reuters SY DB2354