Doping laboratory to be built for National Games

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)