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Japan striker Kazuki Ganaha was suspended by his J-League club last week for taking an intravenous supplement to cure a bout of flu. Fair enough you might think. Until you learn the IV drip was merely a garlic infusion.

The 26-year-old was suspended for violating the J-League’s anti-doping rules, which closely follow those of soccer’s world governing body FIFA, and he is still waiting to learn how long the ban will last.

Garlic? Doping? Whatever next? Korean athletes have had their spicy national dish, kimchi confiscated at airports en route to major sports tournaments in the past, but how long before we see over-zealous customs officials stopping the likes of Wayne Rooney and ordering them to give up any cans of baked beans they may have about them? Admittedly, you would be hard pushed to administer baked beans intravenously but still…

Here at the blog it got us thinking about other players who’ve found themselves in doping trouble over unlikely substances. It’s not quite the same thing, but there was a TSV 1860 Munich player who blamed a hair tonic for a positive test not so long ago. Can you think of any others?

Alastair Himmer is a Reuters sports correspondent based in Tokyo