Banned Bulgarian Tennis Diva "Decided and Did It"

Sports | January 17, 2006, Tuesday // 00:00
Banned Bulgarian Tennis Diva "Decided and Did It" Bulgaria's tennis hopeful, Sesil Karatantcheva, who was banned from playing for the next 2 years on doping charges, maintained her version of a "health condition" during a televised interview. Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia News Agency)

Bulgaria's tennis hopeful, Sesil Karatantcheva, who was banned from playing for the next 2 years on doping charges, maintained her version of a "health condition" during a televised interview.

"I just decided that I wanted to do it, and I did it, and then things got out of control," Karatantcheva said for private bTV channel, hinting at her alleged pregnancy that had caused the high levels of nandrolone in her blood. She explained that when she took the decision to "do it" she was not aware of certain protection issues and then it just happened.

With these words she more or less affirmed that her defence does indeed base itself on an unsuccessful pregnancy. "You are a man and I do not expect you to understand," Karatantcheva said to the morning talk-show host. "I just wanted to do it, took the decision and did it."

The decision for Karatantcheva's 2-year-long ban was announced by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on January 11. The punishment is in effect as of January 1, 2006. Karatantcheva will also have to part with all the points that she had won after the Roland-Garros in 2005 and with the EUR 110,000 and USD 129,000 that she had received for her wins.

In the meantime Karatantcheva's father said that the ITF tribunal that decided on his daughter's fate strongly urged them to hire a lawyer. He also added that the lawyers that the lawyers that he approached with Karatantcheva wanted GBP 90,000 for representing the tennis star.

A sample that the young tennis hopeful had provided on 31 May 2005 at Roland Garros, and another conducted out of competition in Tokyo on 5 July 2005, tested positive for the banned steroid according to the ITF.

Karatantcheva can appeal the ITF's decision within three weeks of its announcement.

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