Six athletes fail PON doping test, commission says
JAKARTA (JP): Ignorance of the regulations at the just concluded 14th National Games (PON) caused six athletes to fail the doping tests, the doping commission chairman announced yesterday.
Chairman of the doping commission Imam Sujudi told reporters after the hearing with the six athletes yesterday that none of the athletes had intentionally consumed the banned drugs.
"We can't accuse them of that because they did not realize that certain medicines they took during the Games contained banned substances," Imam said.
"They explained themselves and provided details on what kind of drugs they took. And none of them used steroids," he added.
Three Jakarta athletes are among the six. These are Indonesia's former number one tennis player Benny Widjaja, who grabbed two golds in the Games, First Lt. Titiek Sumarni, who earned a gold in the small bore prone shooting competition, and Dwi Sihmanto, the bronze medalist of the 60 kg judo event.
The other three athletes are Yogyakarta sharpshooter Inca Ferry, Irian Jaya marksman Siswanto and a female hockey player from East Java, whose identity is still being withheld.
In the last Games, a swimmer, three male cyclists and a female equestrian were suspended for two years for using banned substances.
Hearing
Imam said that the commission will have to discuss the results with the National Sports Council and their respective sports organizations.
"We have heard the results but they are not complete yet. We are still waiting for the athletes. We hope the hearing will be finished on Monday," he said.
The new laboratory in Rawa Kerbau, East Jakarta, was established in August for the Games and the upcoming Southeast Asian Games.
Under the supervision of the Sydney-based Australian Sports Drugs Testing Laboratory, it took 1,126 urine samples, in two bottles each.
"If any of the athletes object to the first tests, they can ask for a retest," Imam said.
The athletes may ask for a second test, either in local or foreign laboratories, provided they are accredited by the International Olympic Committee.
Imam declined to say what sanctions awaited athletes.
"That will be decided by the council and the sports organizations," he said.
Kusnan Ismukanto, chairman of the council's Jakarta chapter, told reporters that he was not particularly upset that three members of Jakarta contingent used banned substances.
"What they consumed were not dangerous substances and they did not take them intentionally," he said.
Kusnan said that if the council withdrew the medals, then the chapter will take the bonus and hand it over to the respective sports bodies for developing younger athletes.
Benny, who won the men's singles gold and the men's team gold, said that he was very shocked with the test result.
"I'm upset. I wouldn't be human if I wasn't," he said nervously.
If the council takes away his individual gold, it will go to teammate Dede Suhendar, and the team gold will go to West Java.
Director of the laboratory Wismiarti said that none of the five athletes had appealed for a recheck.
Benny said that he would not ask for another test because he knows that tests are usually correct.
Chairman of the council Wismoyo Arismunandar promised that as soon as the hearing is over, he will stage an official press conference on the results. (yan)