Congolese Handball Player Sanctioned for Cannabis Violation at African Games
July 25, 2025Congolese handball player Daniel Morisholombe has been sanctioned with a two-year period of ineligibility following a positive test for the banned substance carboxy-THC, according to a statement by the International Testing Agency (ITA).
The International Testing Agency (ITA) has imposed a two-year ban on Congolese handball player Daniel Morisholombe following a positive test for carboxy-THC, a metabolite of cannabis. The violation stems from two in-competition samples collected on March 15 and 22, 2024, during the 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana.
The adverse analytical findings were confirmed by a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory. Carboxy-THC is listed under Section S8 (Cannabinoids) of the WADA Prohibited List and is banned in-competition. It is considered a specified substance and, under certain conditions, a substance of abuse.
According to the ITA, Morisholombe did not contest the anti-doping rule violation (ADRV). As a result, the ITA applied a two-year period of ineligibility starting from July 9, 2025, through July 8, 2027. His competitive results from March 15, 2024, onward have been disqualified. The decision may be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Rare Case in Congolese Sport
According to the Anti-Doping Database (ADDB), this is an unusual case on multiple levels. The Democratic Republic of Congo has only three registered doping sanctions in the database, none of which previously involved handball or cannabinoid substances.
More broadly, cannabinoid-related violations are relatively common worldwide. Carboxy-THC alone has been identified in 244 confirmed doping cases, with the United States, Czech Republic, and Serbia accounting for the highest numbers. Handball is linked to just eight of those cases.
Across all cannabinoid-related violations — including cannabis, carboxy-THC, and tetrahydrocannabinol — the ADDB has recorded 808 cases globally. Handball accounts for 65 of them, while basketball, track and field, and rugby top the list. Sanctions for cannabinoid use most frequently result in three-month suspensions, though two-year bans have been issued in 171 cases.
Appeal Still Possible
While the player accepted the original sanction, the case remains subject to appeal under IHF anti-doping rules. The ITA continues to manage the anti-doping program for the International Handball Federation independently.