Basketball star hits out after dope test

SHENZHEN, China: French star Rudy Gobert accused basketball’s governing body FIBA of showing “no respect” on Monday after he said he was woken up for a doping test at the World Cup in China just hours after a match. The Utah Jazz centre made plain his anger in a tweet, writing: “Got woke up this morning for a doping control (BLOOD and urine), the morning after a late game when I could sleep more. “No respect for the player’s recovery time. Terrible way of doing things @FIBA.”

The towering two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and his French side squeezed through 78-74 against Germany on Sunday evening in their tournament opener. Gobert, 27, had a game-leading five blocks to help the French make a winning start in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.