Source: Radio New Zealand
Tukaha Cooper of the Southland Sharks, 2025. PHOTOSPORT
Breakers development player Tukaha Cooper has been banned from basketball for a month after testing positive for cannabis.
The Sport Integrity Commission Te Kahu Raunui tested Cooper after the Southland Sharks National Basketball League game against Saints in Wellington on 20 July.
The commission’s statement said the 23-year-old later admitted recreational use of cannabis.
The commission accepted that the use was out-of-competition and unrelated to sporting performance.
Cannabis is banned under the Substances of Abuse category in the Sports Anti-Doping Rules, which acknowledge that some substances are used outside of sport.
Cooper incurred a one-month sanction, backdated to 24 October 2025, on the condition that he complete a treatment plan for substance abuse.
The athlete has completed the treatment programme and is now eligible to return to sport.
Commission chief executive Rebecca Rolls said the approach under the Substances of Abuse category reflected a balance between supporting athlete health and maintaining the integrity of competition.
She noted that while the pathway was supportive, cannabis is still banned in sport.
“We encourage athletes to make informed choices and reach out for help when needed,” said Basketball New Zealand chief executive officer Belinda Edwards.
Cooper has not played for the Breakers during the current NBL season.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
