Futsal player receives sanction
Sport Integrity Australia acknowledges the decision of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Disciplinary and Ethics Committee to impose a 4-year ban on athlete Shervin Keshavarz Adeli for the Presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers.
Mr Adeli returned an Adverse Analytical Finding from an In-Competition doping control test at the AFC Futsal Asian Cup in Thailand on 19 April 2024, which detected the presence of GW1516 metabolites; GW1516-sulfoxide and GW1516-sulfone.
GW1516 (also known as GW501516, Cardarine and Endurobol) is listed under Class S4 (Hormone and Metabolic Modulators) of the World Anti-Doping Code – International Standard – Prohibited List – 2024 (2024 Prohibited List). It is a Non-Specified Substance and is prohibited at all times.
The AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee imposed a 4-year ban on Mr Adeli, commencing 23 May 2024.
Mr Adeli is ineligible to participate in any sports that have adopted a World Anti-Doping Code compliant anti-doping policy until 22 May 2028. He is also not permitted to compete in a non-signatory professional league, or event organised by a non-signatory International or National level event organisation.
Additional information on the Prohibited Substance
GW1516 is primarily used in sports doping to increase endurance by forcing skeletal muscle to use fat rather than carbohydrates as an energy source. It was originally developed in the 1990s as a treatment for diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
It was discontinued in 2007, after it was linked to the rapid development of cancer during trials on mice. After a number of positive tests for GW1516 in 2013, WADA released a warning on its health risks.
In June 2018, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) included GW1516 in the Poisons Standard under Schedule 10.
Sport Integrity Australia is committed to protecting the right of clean athletes to fair competition. If you are aware of any suspicious doping activity, you can:
- Report anonymously online or:
- Call 1800 161 361.
Sport Integrity Australia recommends athletes check substances and medications before taking them and to follow our advice on any sport supplements.
The Sport Integrity app provides a useful resource for athletes and support staff to check substances and medications. Additionally, it provides information on how to find batch-tested supplements or see if a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) is required.
The Sport Integrity app is available for free download via the App Store and on Google Play.
