KONI to argue against Wahyuni drug charge

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) will use a newly endorsed clause to defend national pencak silat athlete Ni Made Wahyuni, who tested positive for a banned substance during her gold medal performance at the 1999 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam last month.

KONI head of sports science commission Dr. Carmen Jahja said on Wednesday the council's legal commission official, Cahyo Adi, would cite the clause to argue that an athlete may take medication prescribed by a personal doctor without a time limitation. The clause was issued in January.

Under the previous clause, an explanatory recommendation concerning the medication was needed at every drug test.

"According to the new rule, an athlete is allowed to use asthmatic medication as long as he or she has a doctor's recommendation. But Wahyuni did not declare her asthma inhalant medication to the doping test official. Cahyo will use the new clause to defend Wahyuni," Carmen said.

Wahyuni has used medication containing salbutamol, a substance used to expand the bronchial air passage, since 1996.

Wahyuni failed the doping test conducted by SEA Games organizers after defeating Nguyen Minh Le of Vietnam in the women's class E (65 kg-70 kg) final.

She denied the doping accusation, saying she only took the medication when she experienced breathing difficulties due to asthma.

KONI has sent Cahyo to defend Wahyuni in the Games executive meeting in Bandar Seri Begawan on Wednesday. He also will appeal to the organizers not to strip Wahyuni of her medal.

Carmen said that she would inform all athletes and coaches that a banned substance could be contained in any type of medication.

"In every meeting, I always ask coaches to report on their athletes who take medication. But I didn't inform them that banned substances can also be found in medication which is swallowed, injected and sprayed," she said.

Separately, AFP reported that the meeting on Wednesday had decided to let Singaporean swimmer Nicolette Teo to keep her gold medal despite failing a drug test.

According to a television report, the committee decided "it was not deliberate but a case of ignorance".

Teo, 13, who is also asthmatic, tested positive for terbutaline, a substance commonly found in medication for the illness.

Terbutaline is on the list of stimulants banned by the world swimming body FINA although its use is permitted if an athlete declares it before a drug test.

After her win, she was whisked off to the routine test for all winners where she declared ventolin, a medication she had been using for more than 10 years.

Teo set a new under-14 national record for the 200 meters breaststroke at the Games. (ivy)