Recently Sydney Chawatama has represented three athletes before arbitration panels of Sport Resolutions, combining his expertise in medical law and experience in professional discipline.
Sydney, acting pro bono successfully represented an individual who appealed a refusal of a coaching licence. The individual was refused a coaching licence enabling him to work with children and vulnerable adults because of an alleged safeguarding concern. He appealed and the panel held, having ruled that the hearing was to be de novo, that he satisfied the harm test for that of the relevant governing body. He will therefore be issued with a licence as a coach.
Another recent case involved representing an athlete charged with a doping offence after banned substances were found in his urine sample. The case raised issues of pre-existing medical conditions that might impact on and / or mitigate adverse analytical findings.
Finally, Sydney successfully acted for an athlete charged with evading sample collection of a urine sample. The charges brought against the athlete were dismissed. Cases involving evading sample collection are comparatively rare.
