Thai athletes absolved of doping charges

Thai athletes absolved of doping charges

JAKARTA (JP): The 19th SEA Games organizing committee will
officially announce the reinstatement of two Thai athletes, who
were previously accused of using banned substances during the
biennial event.

The committee's secretary-general, Rudolf S. Warouw, said
yesterday that both Nuanwan Kerdsumran, the women's 10-meter air
rifle gold medalist, and David Yimsumruay, the decathlon gold
medalist, were innocent because they had handed over doctors'
certificates when filling out the drug declaration forms.

The declaration forms stated that both of the athletes were
suffering from asthma and were allowed to use salbutamol to
relieve their symptoms.

International Olympic Committee rules say salbutamol is
permitted by inhaler only and must be declared in writing prior
to competitions to relevant medical authorities.

"When we place their names on the list of athletes, who tested
positive for using banned substances, we were confused because
the Thai doctors said they had handed over the certificates but
the doping committee said it didn't have them," Warouw said.

"After knowing that the doctors' certificates were enclosed
when they filled out the declaration forms, it means they're not
in trouble any more. We shouldn't name them as drug users," he
said.

The organizers also announced that Indonesian male cyclist
Tonton Susanto and Myanmarese bodybuilder Khin Naung Hwe had
allegedly tested positive for banned substances.

Doping control and gender verification committee deputy Dr.
Dangsina Moeloek said last week that she had all the drug
declaration forms and doctors' certificates.

But SEA Games Federation medical committee secretary Dr.
Carmen Jahya said she never received copies of the forms or
certificates.

Warouw said "it was a matter of miscommunication between the
doping control committee, which is under the competition deputy,
and the medical committee."

"Dr. Varin Tansuphasiri, the medical committee chairman, had
told Carmen that he received the certificates, but returned them
back to Dangsina. Apparently Carmen said she did not receive any
certificates. Maybe Dangsina handed them over directly to Varin
without Carmen's knowledge," he said.

"I'm still waiting for Carmen's official letter on the Thai
doctors' certificates. But she said she would wait for the 10
medical committee members' recommendations."

Warouw said competition chairman Muhammad Hindarto would call
Dangsina and Carmen to clear up the problem.

"I didn't see any conflict of interest between them. Maybe
they were a little bit sloppy, but I believe they didn't do it on
purpose," he said.

A member of the National Sports Council's task force for the
13th Asian Games, Mohammad Sarengat, said only one sport
organization had submitted its proposal for the quadrennial
event.

The deadline for sports organizations to submit their
proposals is Nov. 20.

The task force will discuss the proposals and give its
recommendation to the council chairman about which sports
Indonesia will compete in at the Asiad. (yan)