Six athletes fail PON doping test, commission says
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)