Doping laboratory to be built for National Games
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia, as part of the worldwide campaign against performance-enhancing drug users, is setting up a doping laboratory for the 14th National Games this September.
Eddy Widodo, secretary general of the National Games Organizing committee, said during a tour of sports venues yesterday that the laboratory, expected to be completed in July, is being built on a medical laboratory site owned by the Jakarta Health Office at Rawa Kerbau, Central Jakarta.
All equipment and materials will be installed under the supervision of experts from the Sydney doping laboratory, one of only three laboratories in Asia-Oceania which hold licenses from the International Olympics Committee (IOC). The world sports body also recognizes laboratories in Beijing and Tokyo to conduct dope tests.
Eddy declined to reveal how much the new laboratory would cost the organizers.
The Games organizers have sent a physician and an administration officer to undergo a training course in Sydney. Eddy said that having qualified experts is one of the requirements set by IOC to get the license.
"The two experts will eventually be of the same standard as those from Beijing, Japan and Sydney," Eddy said.
Eddy said that ideally Indonesia would like to carry out its own dope tests during the National Games, but it is unlikely due to the limited time left.
"If we fail to meet the IOC expectation, we will ask for an under-license status, in which the tests will be jointly conducted with Australian experts," Eddy said.
He added that if the efforts to gain an under-license also flop, the laboratory would carry out only preliminary tests, meaning that all doubtful samples will be flown to Beijing for further examination.
Ready for use
The Beijing laboratory found five athletes, a swimmer and four cyclists, tested positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs in the last National Games in 1993.
Eddy also confirmed that all sports facilities are ready for the Games, scheduled for Sept. 9 to Sept. 20. A total of 48 venues in the capital city and its environs will be used during the 12-day competition.
A 1,100-seat gymnastics stadium at Duren Sawit, East Jakarta is the only sports facility being built by the organizers for the Games.
The Senayan sports complex will be the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies and 16 sports.
The National Sports Council has decided to feature 35 medal events. Baseball, wushu (a Chinese martial art), rock climbing, motocross and skating will make their debuts as exhibition events.
The Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunication will provide all telecommunications facilities in the sports venues, including for the press center.
As for the Games' across-the-archipelago torch procession, Eddy said that it would start from a natural fire source in the Grobogan regency, Central Java on Aug. 23. The committee has spent Rp 50 million (US$21,750) on reconstructing the fire source.
The 14th National Games should have been held in 1997, but due to the general election, the sports council rescheduled them. The council also decided to stage future games every leap year. (05)