Basketballer receives sanction
Basketball Australia has imposed a one-month period of Ineligibility on athlete Xavier Cooks for the Presence of a Prohibited Substance
Sport Integrity Australia acknowledges that Basketball Australia has imposed a one-month period of Ineligibility on athlete Xavier Cooks for the Presence of a Prohibited Substance, namely THC.
Mr Cooks returned an Adverse Analytical Finding from an In-Competition doping control test on 27 March 2026.
Mr Cooks’ sample was analysed at the Australian Sports Drug Testing Laboratory, part of the National Measurement Institute, and the presence of THC metabolite: Carboxy-THC (11 nor-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid) was detected.
The substance THC is listed under Class S8 (Cannabinoids) of the World Anti-Doping Code – International Standard – Prohibited List 2026 (2026 Prohibited List).
THC is prohibited In-Competition only and is a Specified Substance. THC is also classified as a ‘Substance of Abuse’ under the 2026 Prohibited List.
Under Article 10.2.4.1 of the Australian National Anti-Doping Policy 2021 (ANADP), if the Athlete can establish that any ingestion or Use of the substance occurred Out-of-Competition and was unrelated to sport performance, then the period of Ineligibility shall be three months.
In addition, the Athlete’s period of Ineligibility calculated under Article 10.2.4.1 of the ANADP may be further reduced to one month if the Athlete satisfactorily completes a Substance of Abuse treatment program approved by SIA.
In Mr Cooks’ case, all requirements for a reduction in the period of Ineligibility under Article 10.2.4.1 of the ANADP were satisfied.
This is Mr Cooks’ second Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV). Mr Cooks’ previous ADRV in 2025 was also sanctioned under the Substance of Abuse provisions in Article 10.2.4.1 of the ANADP.
As such, this ADRV is not considered a second violation for the purpose of sanction under the multiple violation provisions in Article 10.9 of the ANADP and a reduction under the Substance of Abuse provisions apply.
Accordingly, Basketball Australia has imposed a one-month period of Ineligibility on Mr Cooks which commenced on 4 June 2026 (being the date that he voluntarily accepted a Provisional Suspension).
Mr Cooks was ineligible to participate in any sports that have adopted a World Anti-Doping Code compliant anti-doping policy until 11:59pm on 3 July 2026.
He was also not permitted to compete in a non-signatory professional league, or event organised by a non-signatory International or National level event organisation.
Mr Cooks’ matter is published on the SIA Violations List in accordance with section 19A of the Sport Integrity Australia Act 2020 (Cth) and Article 14.3 of the ANADP.
The original press release can be found here: https://www.sportintegrity.gov.au/news/doping-violation-updates/2026-08/basketballer-receives-sanction
