Drug abuse confirmed at National Games
Drug abuse confirmed at National Games
JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) admitted
yesterday, after a week-long wait, that the just concluded 14th
National Games were not free of banned drug use.
KONI chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar said after a meeting with
the Games Organizing Committee yesterday that at least 10
athletes were suspected of taking banned substances, after over
1,200 urine samples were tested in a doping control laboratory at
Rawa Kerbau, East Jakarta.
The shameful news came the same day the committee was
officially dissolved after its one-year service. Doping scandals
have haunted the committee in successive Games. But this year the
committee has also had to worry about a budget deficit after
promoter PT Citrahasta Promotama failed to pay the committee Rp 3
billion (US$1.29 million) of its Rp 7 billion commitment.
Wismoyo refused to name the athletes suspected of taking
banned drugs, saying he would first review reports from the Games
doping commission.
"I will ask the commission to talk to the suspected athletes
and listen to their reasons," Wismoyo said. The International
Olympic Committee (IOC) rules that a doping commission must
inform athletes who have tested positive, and allow them to
request second tests.
"They are allowed to have second tests on their own account in
any laboratory, either here or abroad, as long as they are
authorized by the IOC," said Eddy Widodo, secretary-general of
the Games committee. The committee will also send letters to the
suspects informing them of the results of their urine tests.
The Rawa Kerbau laboratory, Indonesia's first doping control
laboratory, was built for the Games in cooperation with the
Sydney-based Australian Sports Drug Testing Laboratory.
Neither Eddy or Wismoyo would say which illegal substances the
athletes were suspected of taking.
"I can't tell you what kind of drugs they are. But I assure
you they are not as dangerous as steroids," Wismoyo said.
Another doping scandal hit the Games three years ago when a
female swimmer, a female cyclist and three male cyclists were
found to have used steroids.
Success
But Wismoyo could at least cheer the successful organization
of the Games.
"It was a great success, as indicated by the 312 records that
fell in competitions," he said.
During the 12-day event, 156 meet, 72 national, 13 Southeast
Asian Games, 30 Asian and 12 junior world records were broken.
At the previous Games, 106 less records were broken.
Both the sports council and the Games organizers considered
the results "satisfactory" despite the fact the athletes
performances failed to meet international or Asian standards.
The Asian and junior world records at this years Games were
all broken in power lifting, a non-Olympic sport. In the Games'
mother event, the track and field, not a single national record
fell.
Wismoyo reiterated his support for a proposal to hold the
Games in 2000 outside Jakarta.
"I think we all realize that the people want to see the Games
staged in other provinces. The idea is in line with our policy to
encourage fairer development in sports," he said.
"But it all depends on the President (Soeharto). He prefers
poverty eradication as the top priority," Wismoyo added.
East Java Governor Basofi Sudirman said earlier that his
province was ready to host the 2000 National Games. The
province's authorities have planned to build a new sports complex
outside of downtown Surabaya for the event.
"A governor has to submit a proposal to the President. If the
Games budget does not disturb poverty eradication programs, then
I think it can host the sporting event," Wismoyo said. (yan)