The Spanish women's hockey team's place at the Beijing Olympics is in jeopardy after it emerged that two of its players tested positive for banned substances at an Olympic qualifying event in Baku last month.
But Spanish authorities have said there is evidence that the positives were part of a deliberate attempt to sabotage the team's chances during the tournament in Azerbaijan.
"The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has notified us about them (positive tests)," Spanish Hockey Federation (RFEH) president Marti Colomer told sports daily AS yesterday.
"We believe the positives were for a powerful stimulant, an amphetamine or something like that."
Players and coaching staff complained about the organization of the Olympic qualifying tournament on their return from Azerbaijan.
They said four members of the team had collapsed in the hotel prior to their match against Kenya having inhaled gas that had escaped from the air conditioning system.
They also complained that players were unable to sleep after being bombarded by telephone calls in their hotel rooms. Others felt ill after drinking water given to them by organizers during matches.
Spain qualified for the Olympics after beating hosts Azerbaijan 3-2 in the final.
However, according to FIH rules, if more than one member of a team tests positive, the whole team will be thrown out of the tournament.
If Spain was disqualified, Azerbaijan would take its place in Beijing.
"It would be the worst thing that could ever happen. It would be terrible," Colomer told AS when asked about the possibility that Spain could be banned. "We hope the FIH will realize that our girls were victims of sabotage. We had a terrible time there and now this has happened.
"We are absolutely positive that the two girls had nothing to do with this. I would bet my life on it."
Team coach Pablo Usoz supported the sabotage theory. "Everything that happened there was a nightmare."
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily May 22, 2008)