Svetlana Kuznetsova: Angry war of words between WTA and Belgian sports official

The Belgian minister who announced details of the &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/sport/2002/08/12/34296.html ' target=_blank>Svetlana Kuznetsova drug test has refused to apologise.

"I will never offer an apology," said Claude Eerdekens, sports minister for the regional government of the French-speaking community. "This product is banned and it is up to her to explain why it is there," he said.

On Monday, Mr Eerdekens issued a statement saying that Russia's &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/sport/2001/09/06/14413.html ' target=_blank>US Open champion had tested positive for ephedrine in a test taken at a exhibition tournament in the city of Charleroi last month, reports Fox Sports.

Russian star Svetlana Kuznetsova on Tuesday denied she was a drugs cheat as news of her positive test for ephedrine sparked and angry war of words between the &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/world/2003/06/17/48291.html ' target=_blank>WTA and a Belgian sports official.

And the US Open champion and world number five herself explained she had only taken a cold remedy during the charity event in Belgium. She said she was not guilty of a doping offence and pointed out that she had passed at least 10 in-competition drug tests last year. "I pride myself on being a clean athlete of the highest integrity and am offended by these disgraceful accusations," Kuznetsova said in a statement.

"There is no reason why I would take a stimulant to enhance my performance at an out-of-competition exhibition match in the middle of the off-season. What is true is that at the time of that exhibition match I did have a cold and was taking a medicine," she added, wrote the Times of India.