Two Year Ban For Silat Exponent Saiedah Said Upheld

23 July 2013

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Two-Year Ban For Silat Exponent Saiedah Said Upheld

Singapore, 23 July 2013 - Silat exponent Saiedah Bte Said has had her two-year suspension from the sport upheld following her appeals hearing last Friday 19 July.

Saiedah had tested positive for the banned substances Nor-Sibutramine and OH-Nor Sibutramine (Metabolites of Sibutramine) under the 2013 Prohibited List following in-competition testing at the 38th National Pencak Silat Championships on 14 April 2013.
The 28-year-old was informed by Anti-Doping Singapore (ADS) that she may have committed a possible Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) on 21 May 2013. She requested for her 'B' sample to be analysed which subsequently confirmed her 'A' sample result.
She was banned from all sports for two years from 4 June 2013 and was given up to 17 June 2013 to submit an appeal to the National Anti-Doping Appeals Committee (NAAC), a body independent of ADS and the National Anti-Doping Disciplinary Committee.
At the hearing, Saiedah was unable to provide evidence on how the banned substances entered her system. She was also unable to prove that the banned substances were present in traditional medicine which she took for back pain and which she assumed contributed to her positive test.
As she was unable to provide any corroborative evidence to support her claims and have her period of ineligibility reduced, the NAAC upheld her two-year ban.
During the period of the ban up to 3 June 2015, Saiedah will be ineligible to participate, in any capacity, in any sport.
Under the ADS Anti-Doping rules, results management and appeals process, which are consistent with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code, Singapore Silat Federation is required to enforce the sanctions on Saiedah immediately.