ATHLETES MUST BE AWARE OF WHAT THEY CONSUME - NSC

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 (Bernama) -- National athletes must be aware of what

they consume, health procedures and precautions to avoid consuming banned

products inadvertently.

National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Zolkples Embong said

based on several previous cases, athletes who had tested positive during dope

tests were not aware of the contents in the food or medicine that they had

consumed.

"Trusting their coaches who gave them food supplements or vitamins might

sometimes create unnecessary problems," he said when met at the Malaysian Royal

Navy''s incentives awards ceremony here today.

Zolkples cited the case of three national shooters who tested positive for

Propranolol, a banned substance, during the President Ally Ong Shooting

Championships in 2007.

They were apparently given chocolates which contained banned substances, by

their coach and subsequently failed a dope test.

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Recently, two national athletes - one from weightlifting and another from

athletics - who were among medal winners at the Indonesia SEA Games in November

tested positive on Dec 21.

Zolkples said there were also incidents whereby athletes used banned

substances due to the influence of friends or fellow athletes, to boost their

performance.

He said among athletes who regularly consumed supplements to boost their

endurance and calories were weightlifters and cyclists.

--BERNAMA

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