Rıza Kayaalp's ban reduced by CAS
National wrestler Rıza Kayaalp will be able to return to the mat starting January 1, 2026, following the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) decision to reduce his suspension to 18 months.
12punto
World and European champion national wrestler Rıza Kayaalp had been banned from competition for 4 years by the ITA due to a medication he used to alleviate tinnitus and pain. However, as a result of his appeal to CAS, his sentence was reduced to 18 months.
Following this development, Rıza Kayaalp held a press conference alongside Turkish Wrestling Federation President Taha Akgül and ASKİ Sports Club General Coordinator Abdullah Çakmar. Kayaalp stated, "This incident, which I experienced before the Paris 2024 Olympics, affected me deeply. However, I continued my struggle and proved my innocence."
"I USED THE MEDICATION FOR MY HEALTH PROBLEMS"
Stating that he used the medication due to health issues, Kayaalp said, "The medication called Vastarel has no performance-enhancing effect. We fought a legal battle during this process and proved our case at CAS."
Turkish Wrestling Federation President Taha Akgül expressed his satisfaction with Kayaalp's return to the mat, saying, "Rıza has a clean career. With this positive result from CAS, he will be able to participate in competitions again in January."
ASKİ Sports Club General Coordinator Abdullah Çakmar remarked, "We were by Rıza's side during this process and will continue to be. We are experiencing great joy with the news we received today."