Topic: News: Myanmar Lifter Disqualified after Failing Drugs Test

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Myanmar Lifter Disqualified after Failing Drugs Test

DOHA � A woman weightlifter from Myanmar has been disqualified from the ongoing Asian Games after failing a drugs test.

The Myanmar athlete had placed fourth in the 48 kg-event. She tested positive for the banned diuretic, furosemide. This was the first failed dope test of the 15th Asian Games.

Twenty-eight-year-old Than Kyi Kyi had been tested on December 2 and waived the right to have a 'B' sample tested according to Games organisers.

Furosemide is a loop diuretic used in the treatment of congestive heart failure and edema.. It has also been used to prevent thoroughbred race horses from bleeding through the nose during races.

Furosemide is also included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) banned drug list due to its alleged use as a masking agent for other drugs.

Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Director-General Husain Al Musallam said the matter would be referred to the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) but ruled out any collective punishment.

"We cannot punish athletes worldwide because of an individual act," Husain said at a press conference held yesterday. "The Asian Games will not kick out the sport," he added.

Meanwhile, according to Asian Games Manager for Doping Control and Medical Services Dr Abdul Wahab Al Musleh, 1,200 tests are to be conducted at the Games. All medal winners are being tested. The 1,200 figure is a 40 per cent increase over the numbers tested in the last Asian Games held in Busan in 2002.

"We have conducted 630 tests so far, including 86 pre-Games testing and 544 in competition," said Abdul Wahab.

According to OCA medical body member Jegathsan Manikavasagam: "This is a reality of the sporting landscape. There is drug abuse in sport. By doing these tests we attempt not only to catch the so-called drug cheats but also to serve as a deterrent to those who may contemplate using these unfair measures to gain an advantage in sport."

Weightlifting is a sport which has always been under the media glare for all the wrong reasons. India's weightlifting federation has been banned for a year after doping violations. Its inability to pay a $50,000 fine meant that the Indian contingent for the Asian Games has no weightlifters. Iran had to pull out of this year's world championship as nine of its squad tested positive.

The Indian ban was its second in seven months. Among those caught doping were B Prameelavalli, Sailaja Pujari, Edwin Raju and Tejinder Singh. Raju and Singh had made the trip to Melbourne for the last Commonwealth Games. They had been cleared in departure tests by the Sports Authoirty of India (SAI) but failed Wada tests.

Manikavasagam said: "This is an ongoing battle. All anti-doping authorities are jointly waging a war against doping in sport."