Khairy casts doubts on Games’ dope-testing process, to appeal gold medalist’s expulsion
Malaysia believes the urine sample of its wushu gold medalist may have been compromised and will appeal against its athlete's disqualification from the Asian Games for failing a drug test.
Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said it was suspicious that it took 16 hours for Tai Cheau Xuen's urine sample to reach the Doping Control Command Centre.
"This is puzzling and raises questions on the integrity of the chain of custody. Why take 16 hours?
"Even after taking into consideration the time taken and distance from the venue to the lab, it does not make sense for it to take that long," he said in a statement today.
Khairy said Malaysia will appeal against the decision to expel Tai at the Court of Arbitration for Sports, because the integrity of the dope testing process had been compromised.
Tai, 24, tested positive after winning the Chinese martial art's women's nanquan and nandao all-round event on September 20, Malaysia's first gold medal of the Games.
She was found to have taken the stimulant sibutramine, which caused her to be disqualified from the competition as well as these Games.
K
hairy (pic) added that there were also no records to show that the sample was kept refrigerated.
"There was also no date recorded, raising questions and doubt over the sample's chain of custody.
"If we take into account the date and time of the wushu event – based on the information available – it means that the sample was kept for nearly 16 hours, from the wushu venue, before it arrived at the Doping Control Command Centre," Khairy said.
Tai is the third athlete to be expelled from the Games for failing a drug test. A Tajik footballer, Khurshed Beknazarov, and a Cambodian soft tennis player have already been expelled for the same reasons.
On Twitter, there was some apparent disappointment over the news, with Jason Ng using the handle @ByJasonNg posting: facepalm: Malaysia wushu gold medallist Tai Cheau Xuen fails dope test, expelled from Asian Games.
Another twitter user, € syud¤2803 € using the handle @Syuhada_Zahari posted: betul ka emas wushu Malaysia kena tarik?? sebab pa pula ni..(Is it true Malaysia's wushu gold medal taken away? How come?) – September 30, 2014.
