Disgraced international captain accuses former teammate of ‘back stabbing’ in stunning interview as whole of Georgian sport comes under investigation
Disgraced international captain accuses former teammate of 'back stabbing' in stunning interview as whole of Georgian sport comes under investigation
Former Georgia captain Merab Sharikadze has revealed that his life has been destroyed by the doping scandal that has sent shockwaves through the sport.
Breaking his silence on the 11-year ban from rugby, the 32-year-old has claimed that his mother passed away after he was “stabbed” in the back by a teammate.
In a stunning interview with the Daily Mail, Sharikadze admitted to his mistakes, but blames a former colleague for speaking to the authorities.
The scandal, dubbed Operation Obsidian, was launched by World Rugby and the World Anti-Doping Agency [WADA] after irregularities were found in urine samples from the Georgian squad, leading to six players being banned.
Investigators say players allegedly swapped urine samples to avoid detection, with the tests believed to have been hiding recreational drug use.
The Georgia team doctor has also been handed a nine-year ban after investigators found that she warned the players about upcoming tests, sharing the information in a team group chat.
In total, the bans handed down add up to nearly 36 years out of rugby.
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“My whole life was destroyed”
“My mother passed away because of this situation,” Sharikadze told the Mail.
“My sister found a note to God in her purse two months after she passed away, saying: ‘Bring Merab back to the field as captain’.”
He admitted to substituting samples on three occasions, but believes that his ban is far too long, despite refusing to help the investigation in return for full immunity.
“It was stupid, but at that stage, I was thinking that the boys, my friends, are in trouble and I had to help them,” he continued, attempting to explain his actions.
“It was marijuana. I know it happens. I’ve played in England, I’ve played in France, and I’ve seen a lot of people in rugby smoking cannabis.
“Obviously, it was a huge mistake, but I gave it to this person I trusted, and it was not hard to swap. I wasn’t doing some kamikaze stuff. I was just sitting in my room, the boys came in, I peed into their small bottle and they took it away.
“I made a mistake, and it destroyed me. Some people on the internet seem happy my life has been destroyed. I didn’t get any benefit from doing this. I had no motive. Nobody offered me money.
“I wasn’t using something illegal that was going to make me stronger than anybody else. If I had taken that risk and got banned for life, I would be able to accept the consequences. Naively, I had no motivation other than helping my friends.”
Now, unable to play for his country again, he reflected on being let down by those closest to him.
“The worst thing is how they received this information. Nobody outside of this circle is involved in this story. If you look at the case, the person who gave all the information, who used my urine sample, they let him free.
“Everyone else got caught, including me. I understand I’m guilty. Who I helped, stabbed me in the back to save himself. He stabbed everybody else as well.”
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“Will send shockwaves through Georgian sport”
WADA president Witold Banka has suggested that further sanctions could follow in Georgian sport, after already extracting samples from Georgian athletes in different sports.
“What has been happening in Georgian rugby is outrageous and will send shockwaves through Georgian sport and government, as well as the global game of rugby,” said Banka.
“I want to thank WADA’s independent Intelligence & Investigations team for their diligence and expertise in relentlessly pursuing this operation with determination and professionalism.
“I also praise World Rugby’s commitment to uncovering the facts and its willingness to work collaboratively with WADA to deliver this strong result for rugby.”