Former Georgia national rugby team captain Merab Sharikadze has been banned from participating in sports competitions for 11 years for involvement in a scheme designed to evade doping tests, reports the BBC.
The report states that the sanctions were imposed as part of a broader investigation by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Giorgi Chkhoidze received a six-year suspension, while Lasha Khmaladze, Otar Lashkhi and Mirian Modebadze were handed three-year bans. Lasha Lomidze was suspended from sports competitions for nine months.
Based on WADA’s investigation, Georgia’s National Anti-Doping Agency allegedly informed national team doctor Nutsa Shamatava in advance about upcoming tests, after which she reportedly shared the information in the team’s group chat.
WADA further said that World Rugby, which detected anomalies in samples from Georgian players ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, believes the alleged sample-swapping scheme was used to conceal recreational drug use.
The case stems from irregularities identified before the 2023 tournament, prompting a broader anti-doping investigation into the Georgian rugby system.
Header image: Merab Sharikadze
