The Russian Football Union (RFU) is warning players against drinking “exotic tea” or smoking shisha pipes as it tries to avoid any doping cases ahead of its home World Cup.

In a guide to help players avoid failing drug tests by accident, the RFU says players should be wary of accidentally consuming banned substances.

It recommends players always read the label on exercise supplements and check online whether they're contaminated with banned products.

The RFU also advises players “not to consume exotic tea,” to avoid smoking shisha, and to be wary of possibly contaminated meat from China or South America.

It wasn't immediately clear what prompted the tea warning.

An Algerian player was banned after a 2015 positive test for cocaine he said he accidentally consumed via a friend's shisha pipe.

Opinion

Editorial

Impending slaughter
Updated 07 May, 2024

Impending slaughter

Seven months into the slaughter, there are no signs of hope.
Wheat investigation
07 May, 2024

Wheat investigation

THE Shehbaz Sharif government is in a sort of Catch-22 situation regarding the alleged wheat import scandal. It is...
Naila’s feat
07 May, 2024

Naila’s feat

IN an inspirational message from the base camp of Nepal’s Mount Makalu, Pakistani mountaineer Naila Kiani stressed...
Plugging the gap
06 May, 2024

Plugging the gap

IN Pakistan, bias begins at birth for the girl child as discriminatory norms, orthodox attitudes and poverty impede...
Terrains of dread
Updated 06 May, 2024

Terrains of dread

Restored faith in the police is unachievable without political commitment and interprovincial support.
Appointment rules
Updated 06 May, 2024

Appointment rules

If the judiciary had the power to self-regulate, it ought to have exercised it instead of involving the legislature.