Doping case at the Handball World Cup: Portuguese player banned

Spectacular games were supposed to dominate the news from the Handball World Cup in Denmark, Norway and Croatia, but now world handball is confronted with the next complicated doping case. Portuguese Miguel Martins, 27, was suspended a day before his team’s first game because of a positive test for exogenous testosterone. A steroid that is considered banned at all times on the World Anti-Doping Agency list.

The temporal connection initially seems unusual. That’s how she explains it International testing agency ITAwhich runs an anti-doping program for the World Handball Federation IHF, that Martins’ sample did not come from the run-up to this World Cup, but from the 2024 European Championships in Germany. A year ago, on January 13, 2024, Martins was tested during a doping control – initially negative.

The European Handball Federation (EHF)’s own anti-doping unit is responsible for tournaments. This confirms that Martins was tested at the European Championships – but with different results. “The sample we have from him is a sample from the European Championships. And it was negative,” explained Hans Holdhaus, head of the EHF’s anti-doping unit, to the portal Handball World. EHF General Secretary Martin Hausleitner confirmed that the ITA had “reopened the rehearsal in March”.

In an interview with the SZ, the testing agency explains how the long period of time between the original testing in January 2024 and the suspension a year later came about. “It can happen that the initial analysis is initially negative,” explains a spokeswoman. The EHF anti-doping unit examined the first sample; When this was negative, Martins was allowed to play in the European Championships and then play numerous competitive games for his clubs and the national team.

Martin’s testosterone levels only became noticeable during the subsequent analyzes of the same sample by the ITA using a different test method (GC/C/IRMS method). The analyzes with biomarkers according to the ABP program (Athlete Biological Passport) are time-consuming, which is why the suspension only took place after such a long period of time. According to the ITA, everything went according to the rules: “The program worked.” The Portuguese Martin is threatened with a long ban.

The Swiss goalkeeper Portner was also suspected of doping, but is playing at the World Cup

It wasn’t long ago when a similarly complicated doping case shocked handball. The Swiss goalkeeper of SC Magdeburg, Nikola Portner, tested positive for methamphetamine (known as the party drug crystal meth) in April 2024 and was suspended by the Handball Bundesliga (HBL) and his club. The B sample confirmed the finding. But then the turning point: After a few weeks, the HBL declared that the concentration of the banned substance was so low that active use could be ruled out. The league assumes “involuntary contamination”.

Since then, Portner, 31, has been able to play again, in the club and in the national team. At the start of the World Cup, the goalkeeper saved the Swiss from a draw against the Czech Republic (17:17). But the case is not on file: The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) called the International Court of Arbitration for Sport Casbecause she sees a “fundamental and groundbreaking need for review and clarification” in Portner’s acquittal. The goalkeeper, in turn, lodged an appeal against the Cas before the Cologne Higher Regional Court. A ban for Portner is still conceivable.

Portner is allowed to play at the World Cup, unlike Martins. The Portuguese are significantly weakened by the suspension of the backcourt player, who plays for the Danish top club Aalborg Handbold and has played 111 international matches for his country. “This victory was for him,” explained Portugal coach Paulo Pereira after the success in the first game of the tournament against the USA. Martins explains that he requested that the B sample be opened.