SuperSport meltdown a Stars lesson
Discrepancy in the moving of samples leaves Saids in doubt Eymael wary of Confed Cup drain
South African heavyweight champion Ruann “Giant King” Visser has been cleared of doping charges seven months after he tested positive for 3’ OH-stanozolol-glucunoride, a metabolite of the Exogenous Anabolic Androgenic Steroid, Stanazolol.
This is a milestone victory for a boxer to have a doping charge withdrawn by the SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport (Saids) which is the country’s highest office in dope testing in sports.
Visser, 27, returned a failed test following his seven-round stoppage win against dethroned national champion Osborne Machimana at Emerald Casino in Vanderbijlpark on February 23.
Saids then provisionally suspended Visser from competing and participating in any authorised sport at any national or international level as from the date of the notification of his suspension which was April 16.
It is said that Visser appeared before a disciplinary committee last month.
Boxing SA chief executive Tsholofelo Lejaka said: “Ruann had charges withdrawn by Saids and he is free to continue with his career. Saids has written to us that they have withdrawn charges against Ruann and that suspension is lifted.” Heavyweight boxer Ruann “Giant King” Visser prepares for his non-title fight against Luke Sutherland on October 21 at Time Square in Menlyn, Pretoria. Free State Stars coach Luc Eymael is using SuperSport United’s post-CAF Confederation Cup slump of last season as a case study to emphasise the significance of accumulating many points before they embark on their African adventure next month.
SuperSport slumped to the point of fighting relegation possibly fatigued because of playing in the Confed Cup, where they lost 2-1 on aggregate to TP Mazembe in the final last term.
Eymael now wants his Stars side to collect at least 20 points before their maiden participation in the second-tier African club competition.
“It is very important to start by collecting as many points as you can before the start of the Confed Cup, otherwise you will find yourself in a situation like SuperSport did last season. If we can get 20 points [they are currently on 11 points] before we start playing in Africa, that’d be fantastic,” said Eymael.
“I use the example of SuperSport to stress to my players the importance of doing well early in the league. SuperSport had to fight until the very last match to escape relegation last season. We do not want to be panicking when the season ends.”
However, Ea Lla Koto’s task at hand is the first round of the Telkom Knockout where they will host defending champions Bidvest Wits at Goble Park next weekend.
Stars are the Nedbank Cup champions and Eymael is confident their Ke Yona triumph can inspire his troops to add the TKO title to their cabinet.
“I am positive that we have what it takes to win this cup. This club is very hungry for trophies. We are happy that we will play Wits at home, that should be an advantage.”