Maria’s predicament

More extensive research could have been done on meldonium, the substance found on Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova that led to her banning from the tennis tour.
The five-time Grand Slam champion and the world’s highest-paid woman in sports said she has been taking the drug for her diabetes, among other reasons.
Sharapova tested positive for meldonium, which the World Anti-Doping Agency added to the list of banned substances only last Jan. 1.
She said she has been taking the drug for 10 years to also increase magnesium in her body.
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Meldonium is known to treat heart disease. Specifically, it is used to treat ischemia, which is a lack of blood flow to heart muscles. The increase in blood flow could improve endurance and recovery time after a tough physical exercise.
This is the reason the Wada moved it from the “monitored” to the “prohibited” drug list.
Meldonium is not a medication for diabetes, according to medical literature.
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The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has provisionally suspended the 28-year-old superstar starting March 17.
Being plagued with various injuries and now having to face a doping scandal, there are speculations that Sharapova may opt to retire soon.
She was interviewed in a presscon Wednesday but her immediate plans were not clear.
Perhaps she’s not certain what steps to take after the ban takes effect.
Since her defeat to Serena Williams in the Australian Open quarterfinals last January, Sharapova was never the same again. Hounded by injuries incurred in the past, she was unable to play with the same zest as before.
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The PCBL opened its second conference on Mar. 6 with the addition of teams Mighty Sports and SCTEX from the MVP group. Among the big names playing in the Chairman’s Cup are Kiefer Ravena, and former Rain or Shine guard TY Tang of Mighty, ex-pros James Martinez, Marcy Arellano, JR Taganas and Founders Cup finals MVP Jeff Viernes of Jumbo Plastic, and former San Mig Coffee and Kia forward JR Cawaling of Sta. Lucia.