National striker Kurniawan fails doping tests

National striker Kurniawan fails doping tests

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's best striker Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto
has made hot news again after testing positive in precompetition
doping tests done by the National Sports Council (KONI) just
before he was to join the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games squad.

SEA Games training director, Imron Z.S., told reporters on
Thursday that Kurniawan, 23, tested positive for amphetamines
after KONI and the Jakarta doping laboratory conducted the tests
in June and this month.

"KONI decided to ban Kurniawan from competing in Brunei. I
have contacted the secretary-general of the All-Indonesian Soccer
Federation (PSSI) and told him to find a substitute otherwise the
national team should play with the remaining 17 players," he
said.

The national soccer team left Indonesia on July 27 as it must
prepare for its first match in Group B against Cambodia on
Saturday. KONI withheld Kurniawan's passport and ticket in order
to prevent him from leaving the country.

"Two members of the soccer team tested positive for the
substance in the first test. I informed PSSI chairman Agum
Gumelar and its officials, asking them to get them cleaned up in
the remaining six weeks. I didn't know Kurniawan was addicted to
the substance," he said, refusing to name the other player.

"Kurniawan also failed the second test on July 22, but I'm not
immediately taking stern action against him. I first had to tell
the PSSI chairman the results."

Amphetamines, which is included as a banned substance on the
doping list, is usually used to reduce weight and to relieve
depression. The substance is also found in psychotropic drugs
such as shabu-shabu and ecstasy.

Kurniawan declined to comment on the matter when visited by
reporters in his room in Hotel Atlet Century Park in Senayan.

"I have no comment on this, please ask Pak Agum," said
Kurniawan, who played for FC Luzern in Switzerland from 1995 to
1996 before joining home favorite Pelita Mastrans (now Pelita
Bakrie).

Kurniawan had hoped to compete in the Games, but said he had
no idea whether he would be allowed by PSSI to join his team in
Bandar Seri Begawan.

"I don't know," he said before shutting the door.

KONI vice chairman, Arie Sudewo, was upset with the turn of
events.

"I urge PSSI and Kurniawan's club to pay more attention to his
progress in the future. They must teach him to become a
professional player and avoid bad things which could turn him
from a hero to zero," he said, adding that he was also an admirer
of Kurniawan's.

"But I think we were lucky to find out before the competition.
If Kurniawan tested positive at the Games, I can't imagine what
the consequences would've been," he said.

PSSI secretary-general Noegraha Besoes said PSSI was awaiting
a second opinion on the tests from the federation's medical team
of Dr. Moh. Nasrun and Dr. Supriyantoro.

Agum is expected to announce the results to the public soon.

"I have received the test results from KONI and reported to
the chairman, and he told me to recheck. So we set up the medical
team. This is not a small problem," he said.

Noegraha said the decision of whether to send Kurniawan to the
Games remained with KONI only if tests by PSSI's medical team
were negative.

Kurniawan, a member of the Primavera junior team which trained
in Italy in 1993, has been called Indonesia's best striker. He
started his career in training centers in Salatiga, Central Java,
and Ragunan Sports School in South Jakarta. (ivy/yan)