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)