RI launches clean-squad campaign for Busan

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Sports Council (KONI) has launched a drug-free campaign for its contingent by conducting a dope test for 20 of the athletes ahead of their departure to the 2002 Asian Games.

"We are taking the initiative to check whether our athletes are involved in possible drug-taking as early as possible. We'd better find out here at home and solve the problem rather than run into trouble in Busan," Imron ZS, the Indonesian contingent's chief in charge of general affairs, told The Jakarta Post here on Monday.

"We are going to Busan, hopefully with the athletes free of drugs," he said.

Busan, the southeastern port city of South Korea, is the venue for the quadrennial Asian multi-event sport showcase, which is scheduled for Sept. 29 through Oct. 14.

Imron said that the 20 athletes on the drug test list had been picked randomly from the 99 to be dispatched to the Asian Games.

"The athletes come mostly from the sports that are considered vulnerable to drug use," he said, citing weight lifting, bodybuilding and cycling as three of those sports.

In the past, KONI's drive to get rid of drugs has proven effective. One case that drew a lot of attention from the local media was former soccer star Kurniawan Dwi Julianto.

He had tested positive in using drugs to enhance his athletic performance and was removed from the soccer squad a few days before the contingent's departure to the 1999 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam.

Meanwhile, Dr. Tugini, a medical attendant for the contingent, said that 11 urine samples had been tested at the Jakarta Drug Laboratory.

"We started screening samples last week and we need one more week to finish before we announce the results publicly," she said.

Tugini said the test could detect possible traces of five performance-enhancing substances, comprising stimulants, steroids, diuretics, beta blockers and narcotics.

Tennis player Angelique Widjaja and cyclist Tonton Susanto are reported to be among the remaining nine who have yet to submit samples for the test.

They are two of the few hopefuls rated as having good prospects for winning a gold medal. Angelique is currently on her China tour while Tonton is conducting his last tryout in Malaysia.

Indonesia has confirmed that 100 athletes will take part in the 20 sports.

Sandry Liong from the wushu discipline was eliminated from the contingent's lineup due to an injury he sustained when practicing during his tryout in China.