Kiefer Ravena, the poster child for aspiring Filipino basketball players, has just been slapped with the harshest sanction assessed on a Filipino basketball player by the International Basketball Federation.
Ravena is set to serve an 18 month suspension after testing positive for multiple banned substances, including 4-methylhexan-2-amine (methylhexaneamine), 1,3-dimethylbutylamine (DMBA), and higenamine.
He was tested after Gilas Pilipinas’ game against Japan last February 25.
“Last February 25, 2018, after the Gilas versus Japan game in the MOA Arena, I was randomly picked to undergo a WADA [World Anti-Doping Agency] doping test. After a few weeks, results came out positive,” disclosed Ravena.
“We started receiving formal communication on March 19, then the decision came down May 22 last week. That’s why, we decided na to pull Kiefer out from Iloilo,” added Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio.
Ravena will serve the suspension that retroactively started last February 25, 2018 and will end on August 24, 2019.
“The SBP is part of an international federation which is FIBA. There are rules that regulates, we should abide by the rules that we’re a member of. When we talked about it nga, hindi naman puwedeng mga good times lang, like when we win the hosting of the 3×3 or the World Cup. If we do something wrong, we are part of a community, we should do the right thing. The right thing is to follow the ruling that FIBA has given to us,” Panlilio added.
Ravena’s camp and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas are talking with FIBA on whether the suspension will also cover the Philippine Basketball Association.
