Modern day sport is very demanding, be it football or basketball. Being on top of your game is the most important and to meet that end one needs to be consistent with speed, power and skill.
Training is the main catalyst for success. But, in times like these, where performance enhancing drugs are easy to obtain and the urge to consistently stay ahead of the pack, finding clean athletes can be a task.
The world has witnessed many sports stars being caught and punished on the basis of their behaviour. Among them, the most recent ones are:
1. Gabriel Jesus
Brazilian star Gabriel Jesus has been handed a two-month international ban by South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) for his behaviour during the Copa America final.
The Manchester City forward remonstrated with the Chilean referee Roberto Tobar after receiving a second yellow card for barging into Peru’s Carlos Zambrano before pushing the VAR monitor and crying in the tunnel.
South America’s football governing body announced the ban after the 22 year-old broke Articles 7.1 and 7.2 of the Disciplinary Rules, for behaving in an offensive, insulting or defamatory manner of any kind. He was also fined $30,000 and is set to miss friendlies against Colombia and Peru in September, but has seven days to appeal the sanctions.
Gabriel Jesus' antics in Brazil's Copa America final have earned him a two-month ban.
More: https://t.co/MlOZ5ZNcQP pic.twitter.com/s8tGdEKJBn
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 8, 2019
2. Lionel Messi
The Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has been suspended for three months, from playing international matches for Argentina after alleging corruption at the Copa America.
CONMEBOL has fined him $50,000 for his comments after Argentina’s 2-1 win against Chile in the third-place playoff of the tournament. Messi was red carded for the second time in his career during the Chile match following a scuffle with Gary Medel, who was also sent off. The governing body at the time called the accusations “groundless” and “unacceptable.”
Messi and Argentina still have one week to appeal the decision, which stops the striker from playing in four friendlies this year. The 32-year-old, who also captains Argentina, will not play in September against Chile and Mexico or in another two games in October.
The 32 year old footballer has been fined $1,500 and is suspended from the first match of the South American World Cup qualifiers next March, for his Copa America red card.
Lionel Messi's been banned from playing for Argentina for three months.
More: https://t.co/pw9Lfb150t#bbcfootball pic.twitter.com/RggEtqq2EZ
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 2, 2019
3. DJ Cooper
American point guard DJ Cooper was handed a two year suspension for a rather bizarre attempt, where he gave the urine sample of his pregnant girlfriend for a doping test.
What makes it even more bizarre is that, the test results showed that he was pregnant and the reason for his actions is unknown. He was expected to join the Bosnian national team but the presence of gHC, a hormone that the placenta produces after impregnation, was detected in the urine sample.
Federation International Basketball Association (FIBA) immediately suspended the player for fraud. Cooper’s punishment will keep him out of Basketball until 20 June 2020.
DJ Cooper suspended for falsifying doping test by using pregnant woman's urine | Eurohoops https://t.co/MMfm5zeclf
— Eurohoops.net (@Eurohoopsnet) August 3, 2019
