N. Korea banned from World Cup for bizarre reason

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From Comcast SportsNetThursday, August 25, 2011
ZURICH (AP)FIFA banned North Korea from the 2015 Womens World Cup afterfive players tested positive for steroids from traditional musk deer glandtherapy at the tournament last month.FIFA on Thursday imposed bans of up to 18 months on all five players, whoNorth Korean officials said were treated with traditional therapy after beingstruck by lightning at a pre-tournament training camp.Jong Pok Sim, Hong Myong Hui, Ho Un Byol and Ri Un Hyang were suspended fromall soccer-related activity for 18 months, while Song Jong Sun was ineligiblefor 14 months, FIFA said.North Koreas soccer federation was fined 400,000, and team doctor Nam JongAe was banned for six years.The fine exactly corresponds to the prize money the association would havereceived for their 13th place in the final ranking of the Womens World Cup inGermany, FIFA said.Defenders Song and Jong failed drugs tests before the World Cup game againstColombia. FIFA then tested the entire North Korean team after its final match.FIFAs disciplinary panel also banned Colombia backup goalkeeper YinethVaron for two years for doping at the tournament.The doping case was the most serious at a major FIFA tournament in 17 years.In July, FIFAs chief medical officer Jiri Dvorak said after extensivetesting, we can really say with far-reaching confidence that these steroidswere the result of this so-callled Chinese traditional medicine.

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