China's Asiad athletes face doping tests

China's Asiad athletes face doping tests

BEIJING (Agencies): China plans to subject athletes to unscheduled doping tests before they compete at the next month's Asian Games in Bangkok, sports officials said Thursday.

Doping tests will focus particularly on "important events like swimming, athletics and cycling," said Li Furong, deputy head of a 822-member delegation that China will send to the games.

"We will definitely carry out some unscheduled tests," he said. "Various people, in various events, will be selectively tested at any time."

The announcement came just after three unnamed athletes -- one swimmer and two gymnasts -- from rival South Korea tested positive for banned diuretics which can be used to control weight. The three were banned on Thursday from going to Bangkok.

The finding prompted on Thursday fresh drug tests on all South Korean gymnasts and swimmers competing in the Asiad.

China was the runaway champion at the last Asian Games four years ago in Hiroshima, Japan. But its success was overshadowed by 11 athletes - including seven swimmers - who failed drug tests.

But China has denied running a systematic doping program and has stepped up efforts in recent years to weed out and punish drug cheats.

Yuan Weimin, a vice minister for sports, said doping was an international problem that spread from the West to China in the 1980s.

Fighting doping is a "common, long-term unremitting struggle," he said at a news conference about China's participation at the games.

By the end of last month, China had conducted 2,412 doping tests this year, including unscheduled out-of-competition tests, that caught eight athletes who were subsequently punished, Yuan said, without providing details.

Athletes who will be going to Thailand were among those tested, and some were probably tested more than once, he said.

Before the games, athletes and coaches will also be called in for classes about anti-doping efforts, Li said. He said none of the eight athletes caught this year were well-known, although he did not divulge their names. Most competed in swimming and athletics, he said.

China, the overall gold medal leader at the past three games, will send 596 athletes to Thailand and compete in 32 of the 36 sports. The only sports it will not compete in are squash, rugby, karate and kabbadi, a tag-like game popular in South Asia.

Yuan said China again aims to capture the most golds and lay a foundation for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

China won 137 - or 41 percent - of 337 gold medals at stake at the last games in 1994.

Thailand

Host Thailand, meanwhile, has been set the daunting target of 24 gold medals -- eight times higher than its haul at the last games.

Minister attached to the Prime Minister's office Julin Laksanawisit said the high hopes were based on realistic assessments.

"The target of 24 medals is from estimation of sport associations not from the (organizing) committee," Julin said.

At the Hiroshima Asian Games four years ago, Thai athletes won three gold medals, two from swimming and one from boxing.

Thailand has upped his initial target 10 gold medals amid hopes its team will reap success in the boxing and sepak takraw ball game.

The cash-strapped government will stump up one million baht (US$27,000) to reward each Thai gold medal winner.

Silver medalists will get 300,000 baht and those who win bronze 100,000 baht. All the rewards are to cover training expenses said Julin, who overseas the Sports Authority of Thailand.

Thailand has set aside 324 million baht of which 271 million baht will be spent to support the team during the Games, he said.