Doha: In a disappointing development, Ayesha Al Blooshi, the UAE woman weightlifter who won made history by becoming the first lady from the Arabian Gulf to win a medal in a weightlifting competition, is set be stripped of her medal because of substance abuse.
The UAE National Olympic Commitee (NOC) has, meanwhile, decided to suspend Al Blooshi from all local and international competitions and to strip the silver medal she won in the 58 category after taking a medicine that contained prohibited drugs without consulting the doctors accompanying the UAE delegation in the 12th Arab Games or her coach or the team's manager.
Al Blooshi was admitted to Hamad Hospital on the night she won the medal for neck and back pains after a freak incident during the competitions.
"This is sad news and proves once again the ignorance of our athletes with what medicines they should take or not to take and the necessity of consulting the doctors with all medicines - however simple they are," Abdul Mohsin Al Dossary, the head of the UAE delegation, told Gulf News.
"The UAE NOC had conducted dope tests on all the athletes nominated to take part in the Games and all were clear except Ayesha, who has taken some medicine on the banned list in the past few days without consulting the doctor of the team. She will be suspended by the organizers anyway but the UAE NOC has suspended her and asked her to return the medal she won. These incidents harm the reputation of our sport and our athletes."
