SA heavyweight champion banned for four years by CAS

27 February 2020 - 13:40 By David Isaacson
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A file photo of Ruann Visser flanked by his team after winning a match in 2019.
A file photo of Ruann Visser flanked by his team after winning a match in 2019.
Image: Lee Warren/Gallo Images

SA heavyweight boxing champion Ruann Visser has been banned for four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland‚ an SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport (Saids) official said on Thursday.

Visser tested positive for a steroid after winning the national crown on a seventh-round knockout over Osborn Machimana in February 2018.

Armed with a powerful legal team‚ Visser cast sufficient doubt on the chain of custody of his urine to have the case withdrawn.

But the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) appealed the outcome‚ but the matter was delayed as Visser’s lawyers took the matter to the Swiss federal court‚ where Caster Semenya’s appeal is being decided‚ to have the case dismissed on a technicality.

After losing that the case proceeded at Court of Arbitration for Sport and Visser was banned for four years‚ Saids CEO Khalid Galant said.

“He has no further avenue for relief.”

Galant added that at the time of the positive test‚ Visser was provisionally suspended for a few months‚ and that would be taken off his four-year ban.

Since winning the SA title‚ Visser has had six fights‚ winning five inside the distance and one on points.

His last scheduled fight‚ a defence against Tian Fick in Cape Town‚ didn't materialise after Visser fell out the ring and injured himself when the top rope broke.


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