Nikola Radjen charged with anti-doping violation

Serbian veteran national team member Nikola Radjen is charged with anti-doping violation, Serbian media reported on Friday, and he confirmed via Twitter the following day. The Serbian centre-back, this season playing for Olympiacos in Greece, stated via his Twitter account that the aquatics world governing body FINA had informed the Serbian water polo Federation of the preliminary results of a drug test which he underwent in Madrid, but will not make any statements until the end of the proceedings. Awaiting these results Radjen has been provisionally suspended already.

Rumours are going in local media that the violation of Radjen involved the use of cocaine, although no confirmation whatsoever was communicated by any of the parties involved. However, according to the new anti-doping rules it could result in a suspension up to 4 years maximum. The Serbian federation responded Saturday by stating to also await full results and the completion of the process before making any statement and decision on their position in this case.

30-year old Radjen is longtime member of the Serbian national team with whom he captured the bronze medal at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games and won the 2009 world championships, the 2012 and 2014 European title as well as 5 World League trophies. Radjen will see his team Olympiacos as title favourites in the final stages of the domestic season in Greece, as the play-offs start in two days, before a busy summer awaits with the national team, highlighted by the 2015 World Championships in Kazan, Russia starting late July. 

The water polo world in mid-April was shocked to learn an other anti-doping violation case as Croatian national team centre-forward Niksa Dobud was provisionally suspsended by FINA after failing to show for a 2nd test following a World League match in Montenegro on March 21. Although Dobud immediately stated it was a misunderstanding and soon to be solved, the Jug Dubrovnik captain has not played a single match since while his club Jug is in the midst of a tough domestic play-offs finals battle trailing Primorje Rijeka in the best-of-5- series 2-1.

Niksa Dobud (white cap) in action for Jug in this year's Champions League, earlier this season.

Top photo: Radjen (white cap) defending Montenegrin centre-forward Filip Klikovac during the 2014 European Championships in Budapest.