The European Handball Federation (EHF) has disqualified the Silver medal won by the Russian team at last year’s European Championships for 19 year olds, after three female team members returned adverse analytical findings (AAF) for meldonium last year. However, the Russian handball federation (HFR) escaped its 19 year old female team being banned from international competition for two years, as specified in EHF Regulations, thanks to the work of its legal team.

‘According to Article 10 of the EHF Regulations for Anti-Doping, if more than two members of a team are found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation during an EHF competition period, the competent legal body shall also impose an appropriate sanction on the federation’, read a statement from the EHF. The EHF Anti-Doping Regulations specify that in cases where two or more team players report an AAF, a ‘ban of the national team or club team from participation in EHF Competitions as defined in the EHF List of Penalties’ is applicable. The EHF List of Penalties specifies that if two or more team players test positive in a European Championship, ‘an international suspension for 2 to 3 years of the national team concerned as well as its exclusion from the next EHF Championship in the same category for which the nation concerned would be qualified’ is applicable.

However despite these Regulations, the EHF decided to put the HFR on probation. It ruled that should a similar violation occur within the next two years, the HFR will be suspended from competing in the female 19 category for two years. It also fined the HFR €20,000. ‘It was the panel’s view that […] the violations being dealt with in the present case have been serious and must be sanctioned accordingly while keeping in mind the principle of proportionality’, read the EHF statement.

“We are pleased with the decision of the Court of handball on the situation”, said Lev Voronin, Director General of the HFR in a statement. “I would like to acknowledge the work of our legal team, which has ensured that women’s youth national team of Russia has not been suspended from international competitions”. The HFR will not be appealing the sanction.