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)