AXEMEN RECEIVER FLUNKS DOPING TEST

Birungi Forfeits All-Canadian Award For Infraction

A third Atlantic University Sport athlete has committed an anti-doping
violation this season, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport announced in
a press release on Friday.

All violations involve marijuana use.

Acadia Axemen football receiver Ivan Birungi, a second-year player from
Pickering, Ont., tested positive for cannabis following the Acadia-St.
Francis Xavier semifinal game on Nov. 6 in Wolfville.

The 21-year-old Birungi has been issued a warning and reprimand, but will
not lose any Canadian Interuniversity Sport eligibility. The university
also will also not be punished.

But Birungi did lose a significant honour.

"In accordance with CIS regulations, the Acadia football team will not be
sanctioned," Marg McGregor, chief executive officer of the CIS, said in the
release. "However, Mr. Birungi will forfeit his CIS Football Second-Team
All-Canadian status."

Acadia athletic director Dan McNally said all university athletes receive
detailed instruction on doping rules prior to every season.

He said while there might be any number of similar infractions that go
undetected across the country in a given year, it doesn't alter the fact
Birungi got caught.

"It's disappointing for him; it's disappointing for us," McNally said
Friday. "We have to respond to it as an institution, but at the same time
we don't want to overreact to it. We want to deal with it in a way that's
ultimately going to be positive for him and for the rest of the athletes at
our school."

McNally said he doesn't know what action might be taken in Birungi's case,
but that it would involve drug education.

"There will be some response from the institution and the (athletic)
department and the (football) program, absolutely," he said.

Saint Mary's football receiver Atnas Maeko and UPEI women's soccer player
Natalie Carragher are the other two athletes to test positive for cannabis
this season. The three positive results are the only doping violations for
the CIS this school year.

According to the release, Birungi's urine sample "returned an adverse
analytical finding" for cannabis, which is on the World Anti-Doping Agency
(WADA) prohibited list.

Cannabis is designated as a "specified substance" on the list. Those
substances are generally available in medications or are less likely to
increase athletic performance.

Under the rules of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program, when an athlete can
establish that the use of the banned substance was not intended to improve
athletic performance, the punishment may range from reprimand to a one-year
suspension from competition.

Upon notification of the positive test, Birungi waived his right to a
hearing and acknowledged he had committed the infraction.

Birungi had a big season with the Axemen, recording 11 receiving
touchdowns. He broke the Acadia single-season record for touchdown catches
and missed a share of the Atlantic conference record by one.