Ghana international Bennard Yao Kumordzi has been suspended for four months after testing positive for doping in Belgium.
The midfielder, 33, tested positive for Carboxy-THC, a pharmacologically-active metabolite of cannabis (popularly known as ‘wee’ in Ghana) and/or hashish, above the permitted limit of 180 ng/ml, stemming from a urine sample collected after a match between his club KV Kortrijk and Standard Liege on October 10, 2017.
The Carboxy-THC test is used to detect the use of cannabis and the urinalysis on Kumordzi by the Flemish Doping Tribunal showed a concentration of 186 ng/ml Carboxy-THC – an excess of 6 ng/ml in his urine sample.
The substance, Carboxy-THC itself, is not a performance-enhancing, KV Kortrijk explained in a statement on Sunday.
The club, who were taken aback by the development, said the result was the same when they challenged the tests for further review.
Bennard Kumordzi’s suspension runs from May 15 to September 14.
“During this period, he will obviously not be able to participate in official competitions, but will remain part of the A-core of KV Kortrijk.
“Bennard [Kumordzi] is affected by the facts and emphasizes that he has not consciously taken the substance himself.
“He will remain committed to the club during his suspension and hopes to prove his value for the club again as soon as possible after his suspension,” read parts of a publication on KV Kortrijk’s website.
