Hendry and White cleared over drug tests

Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White have both been cleared of committing an offence after failing to submit to drug tests at a charity event in Belgium.

Refusal to submit to random tests in Belgium is taken as tantamount to a positive sample and can see bans of between three months and two years invoked.

However, following a Flemish anti-doping tribunal in Brussels, which was attended by both players and their legal representative – Glasgow lawyer Leo Martin – the pair have avoided punishment.

According to world number one Hendry’s management company, 110sport Management Ltd, the tribunal accepted that neither player knew they were obliged to provide a sample, nor were they approached directly to do so.

The charity event took place in February.

Martin said: “Never at any time were they directly approached. Indeed they were of the impression that this was not a formal test and were even suspicious of the approach having never previously been asked to provide such a sample while playing in that country.

“At no time did the doctor make the approach directly and the procedures adopted were contrary to those used in tournaments sanctioned by World Snooker, the game’s governing body, where random tests are normal practice and something all players are used to.

“The tribunal fully accepted my submissions that in the absence of a specific request to my clients they could not be convicted of refusing to take the dope test according to the principles of natural justice.”