Seizure of Tonton's medal too rushed: Cycling body

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Cycling Association's vice chairman, Hario Tilarso, said yesterday he was disappointed with the 19th SEA Games organizers' decision to confiscate Tonton Susanto's gold in the 40kms Individual Time Trial after he was found guilty of using banned substances.

"I think the decision was made in too much of a rush because the organizers should have waited for the International Cycling Union's decision on Tonton's punishment," he said emotionally.

Tonton's gold was confiscated after his A and B urine samples were found to contain fencamfamine. But he has been allowed to keep his gold in the 70kms Individual Road Race because his samples taken after that event were negative.

The organizers's secretary-general, Rudolf S. Warouw, said Monday that the organizers still intended to confiscate Tonton Susanto's gold as "an education to other athletes".

Hario denied that the organizers had called the association to discuss the confiscation.

"They only called us once, just after the SEA Games. But they never discussed their plan to confiscate Tonton's gold medal," he said.

Warouw said earlier that the association had accepted the organizers' decision to confiscate the gold.

Hario, who is also a sports doctor, said: "The organizers obviously didn't wait for the union's decision about Tonton's punishment. The process to decide his decision will take a long time. Why should the organizers announce the confiscation soon?"

Warouw said the organizers planned to officially announce the confiscation soon, along with the golds won by Myanmar and Thai athletes who also failed doping tests.

He said the association needed four days to send Tonton's doping test results to the union.

"We have to ask for the results from Dr. Carmen Jahya (the SEA Games Federation's medical committee secretary). Unfortunately she has been abroad and we have to wait for her decision," he said.

Carmen refuted the statement, and said: "I never received a formal letter from the association asking for the doping results. I don't know if they asked for it verbally because I have just returned to work today." (yan)