Doha: Controversy marred the Asian Games yesterday with a Myanmar athlete testing positive for drugs and Indonesia being stripped of an equestrian medal for cheating.
Than Kyi Kyi, who placed fourth in the 48kg category event in Doha, tested positive for the banned diuretic furosemide, marking the first failed test of the 15th Games.
The 28-year-old was tested on December 2 and had waived her right to have a 'B' sample tested, organisers said.
The failed test is another body blow for the embattled sport, after India's lifting federation was banned for a year for doping violations and Iran had to pull out of this year's world championships in the Dominican Republic after nine of its lifters tested positive.
Husain Al Musallam, director general of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), said that Than's case would be referred to the International Weightlifting Federation but rejected any talk of collective punishment.
"We cannot punish athletes worldwide because of an individual act," he told reporters at a news conference. "The Asian Games will not kick out the sport."
Some 1,200 tests will be conducted at the Games in the Qatari capital, including all medal winners an increase of 40 per cent from the 2002 Games in Pusan, Doha's medical and doping control manager Abdul Wahab Al Mussleh said.
"We have conducted 630 tests so far, including 86 pre-game testing and 544 in competition."
But blanket testing of all weightlifters at the Games was not under consideration, he added.
Jegathesan Manikavasagam, a member of the OCA's medical body, said the fight against doping in weightlifting was part of a wider battle to root out drug cheats in sport.
"This is a reality of the sporting landscape. There is drug abuse in sport," he said. "But by doing these tests we attempt not only to catch the so-called drug cheats, but also to serve as a deterrent to those who may contemplate using these unfair measures to gain an advantage in sport.
"This is an ongoing battle. All anti-doping authorities are jointly waging a war against doping in sport."
Indonesia was also in hot water after it was stripped of its equestrian eventing bronze medal when Andry Prasetyono was found to be using illegal spurs. Andy Griffiths, the technical delegate for equestrian eventing, said they had no option but to disqualify him.
Meanwhile, Chinese female pool player Zhou Mengmeng, 19, was being investigated over reports of violence following her defeat in the semi-finals, team officials said, without going into details.
The drama overshadowed the sporting action on the turf.
Loop diuretic on WADA's banned list
Furosemide is a loop diuretic used in the treatment of congestive heart failure and oedema. It is most commonly marketed under the brand name Lasix.
Along with some other diuretics, furosemide is also included on the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) banned drug list due to its alleged use as a masking agent for other drugs.
It has also been used to prevent thoroughbred race horses from bleeding through the nose during races.
