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)