Wahyuni cleared, keeps gold medal

Wahyuni cleared, keeps gold medal

JAKARTA (JP): The 1999 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games Federation
Executive Committee meeting in Brunei Darussalam on Wednesday
decided to free Indonesian pencak silat athlete Ni Made Wahyuni
from a doping charge and let her keep the gold medal.

Cahyo Adi, a member of the legal commission of the National
Sports Council (KONI), told reporters on Thursday the committee
members decided Indonesian pencak silat team manager, Puji
Handoko, and his officials should take responsibility for failing
to inform their athletes of the doping regulation.

"The executive committee will send a letter to KONI urging the
body to reprimand the pencak silat team manager and officials and
make sure they are informed of all relevant regulations," he
said.

Along with Wahyuni, Singaporean swimmer Nicolette Teo was also
allowed to retain her gold medal, which she earned in the 200
meters breaststroke in the Games held in Brunei last month.

Wahyuni, a five-times SEA Games gold medalist, failed the
doping test conducted by the organizers after defeating Nguyen
Minh Le of Vietnam in the women's class E (65-70 kilograms)
final.

The mother of one claimed she had been using the sprayed
medication since 1996, after delivering her first child.

Wahyuni and Teo have a similar case of non-declaration during
the doping test by not informing the doping test controllers on
the medicines they consumed before the competition.

Both athletes, who suffer asthma, said they used Ventolin. But
a form of stimulant identified as salbutamol was found in
Wahyuni's urine, while another substance identified as
terbutaline was found in Teo's.

However, Thai shooter Somboon Vongveeranonchai was stripped of
his gold after officials found large amounts of marijuana in his
urine sample.

Vongveeranonchai's gold medal in the men's trap individual
event will go to runner-up Jaime Recio of the Philippines.
Vongveeranonchai's compatriot Weerachart C. will get the silver
while another Filipino Eric F. Ang will get the bronze.

Cahyo said chairman of the executive committee, Prince Sufri
Bolkiah, who also competed in the same event with
Vongveeranonchai, had expressed his grief as he had no choice but
to revoke his compatriot's medal.

"Prince Sufri said that he was very sad because he had to
withdraw the gold medal earned by his fellow athlete." (ivy)