Reports of athletes using illegal drugs worry KONI<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Reports of athletes involved in illegal drug use
\nhave worried the National Sports Council (KONI).<\/p>\n
In an effort to confirm that their athletes are clean, KONI
\nwill conduct urine tests prior to the Olympics in Sydney in
\nSeptember.<\/p>\n
KONI secretary general Rudolf Warouw said Monday that the
\nurine tests were scheduled to take place before the centralized
\ntraining program began in March.<\/p>\n
\"I will check with the training executive director (Arie
\nSudewo) on the schedule,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Warouw was responding to reports claiming that some soccer and
\nbadminton players were allegedly taking illegal drugs, like PSM
\nstriker Kuncoro.<\/p>\n
Kuncoro said he was persuaded by Persebaya player Mursyid
\nEffendi to inhale shabu shabu, but the Persebaya team accused
\nanother PSM striker Kurniawan Dwi Julianto of being the one who
\nwas offering the drugs.<\/p>\n
Kurniawan was banned from competing in the 1999 Southeast
\nAsian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam after he was positively
\ntested for amphetamine.<\/p>\n
\"We have asked both the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI)
\nand the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) to give us
\nwritten reports on the matter, but KONI has yet to receive them,\"
\nWarouw said as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
Separately, state minister of youth affairs and sports Mahadi
\nSinambela and the Indonesian Archery Association (Perpani)
\nchairman Hayono Isman suspect that drug dealers are not only
\nlooking for profit but are trying to undermine the nation's
\nmorale.<\/p>\n
\"I'm very disappointed with our soccer players using illegal
\ndrugs,\" Mahadi said.<\/p>\n
\"It is quite possible that some athletes want instant
\nresults,\" he said, giving examples of Canadian sprinter Ben
\nJohnson and soccer superstar Maradona, who both used banned
\nsubstances during their career.<\/p>\n
\"The government must get involved in the situation. The
\nathletes' who take illegal drugs illustrate how fragile society
\nis when it comes to deterring young people from taking
\nnarcotics,\" said Hayono, who is a former state minister of youth
\naffairs and sports.<\/p>\n
\"Sports are synonymous with the ongoing development of the
\nnation's athletes, and needs support from the government. I
\nsuspect a camouflage movement to discredit the government.\"<\/p>\n
\"Usually drug dealers sell their stuff with more discretion,
\nto common citizens. Now they are selling their wares to the
\nsports community which is highly exposed. The psychological
\nimpact is much greater when well-known athletes are caught using
\nillegal drugs.\"<\/p>\n
Both Mahadi and Hayono were responding to reports at Suara
\nPembaruan saying that drug dealers have sold shabu shabu in the
\nRagunan sports school in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Boxer Hermensen Ballo, who is preparing to go to the Olympics,
\nclaimed he was offered shabu shabu gratis by persons staying at
\nthe Graha Wisata Motel, located in the complex.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know why exactly the drugs were offered to me. But
\nthe person said he would give them to me for nothing,\" he stated.<\/p>\n
\"But I turned him away. I said 'I haven't gone insane. You
\nbetter get out of here before I get angry'.\"<\/p>\n
The school principal, R. Soerjadi, said he suspected his
\nathletes' were monkeying around with illegal substances because
\nthere were people staying at the Graha Wisata who were allegedly
\noffering the drugs to students and athletes.<\/p>\n
\"We tested some of our athletes and the results were negative.
\nI plan to work with KONI to conduct urine tests in order to
\nfurther monitor the students' possible involvement with drugs.\"
\n(yan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/reports-of-athletes-using-illegal-drugs-worry-koni-1447893297",
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