KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 — National bodybuilder Sazali Samad will challenge the decision of the Bodybuilding Association of Malaysia (PBBM) to ban him for four years, at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Switzerland.

Sazali claims PBBM did not follow the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in handling the appeal process.

WADA Article 13.2.2 stipulates that appeals must be heard by the Appeals Committee, and members of the committee should be composed of those who have no interest in the matter, and are impartial.

The article also entitles the athlete to appoint a lawyer to represent him, and stipulates that the decision on the appeal must be made in writing, stating the grounds.

“I do not accept, and reject the decision of the PBBM Appeals Committee,” said the 10-time Mr Universe at a press conference here today, accompanied by his manager and lawyer.

“I was never called for a hearing on the appeal, and was not informed who the PBBM appeal committee members were.

“My lawyer was also not given the opportunity to argue and reason for the reduction of the sentence before the committee.”

PBBM announced a four-year suspension on Sazali after he failed a doping test conducted by the Malaysian Anti-Doping Agency (Adamas) on September 1 last year.

Sazali also regretted the decision by PBBM to reject the appeal and uphold the original ban, without stating any reasons, which could be referred to by himself and his lawyer Mohd Norasmawi Norani. Mohd Norasmawi said they had sent a letter of appeal to the PBBM Appeals Committee on January 9 but they only received a formal letter dated March 26 informing them of the decision against the appeal, yesterday.

“I received an official letter on Sazali’s appeal decision dated March 26, on March 31, only a day after I informed the media about PBBM’s delay in making the decision. We will take this case to CAS,” said Mohd Norasmawi.

The media had reported that PBMM vice president Datuk Wira Masood Zainal Abidin, who chaired the Appeals Committee, had decided to retain the ban against Sazali, after convening twice.

Sazali has won the Mr Universe title 10 times — in Malacca in 2000; Moscow (2004); Ostrava, Czech Republic (2006); Jeju, South Korea (2007); Dubai (2009); Varanasi, India (2010); Malacca (2011); Bangkok (2012); Budaors, Hungary (2013) and Mumbai, India (2014).

The Batu Pahat-born “Malaysian Iron Man” had also won the Mr Asia title in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2014. — Bernama