Malaysian wushu gold medalist Tai Cheau Xuen has been disqualified from the Asian Games after failing a doping test, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said in a statement today, reports dpa .

Tai, who won the women’s nanquan and nandao combined wushu, tested positive for the banned substance sibutramine after her event on Sept 20.

“The competitor has been disqualified from the competition as well as these Games and as such her accreditation cancelled and her medal withdrawn,” read the statement.

“These findings will now be forwarded to the competitor’s national authorities, the international federations of the sport concerned (Asian and International Wushu Federations) and the World Anti-Doping Agency for further action on their part as per sanctions concerning eligibility.”

The 22-year-old had claimed Malaysia’s first gold medal of the Games with her victory but that medal will now pass on to Juwita Niza Wasni of Indonesia. China’s Wei Hong moves into second with another Indonesian, Ivana Ardelia Irmanto, taking bronze.

Tai becomes the second athlete banned from the Games for taking sibutramine. Yi Sophany of Cambodia, a female soft tennis player, tested positive for the substance on Sept 16, three days before the Incheon Games officially opened.

Tajikistani footballer Khurshed Beknazarov was also expelled, having tested positive for methylhexaneamine.

OCA medical committee chairperson Dr M Jegathesan said on Saturday that 1,900 athletes would be tested during the course of the Games.

Malaysia to appeal against decision

Meanwhile, Bernama reports that the Malaysian contingent has not ‘lost’ the first gold medal won at the Incheon Asian Games through wushu, said chef-de-mission Daniyal Balagopal Abdullah despite claims from the OCA that the winner had failed a dope test.

Daniyal said Malaysia would send an appeal to the Olympic Council of Asia against the decision, especially to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) committee to express concern over the procedure.

“From the beginning we have questioned the way the sample was collected. I will meet the National Sports Institute’s chief executive officer Dr Ramlan Abdul Aziz and submit an appeal to the CAS by today,” he said in Incheon today.

According to Daniyal, since five urine samples were collected, including that of the Malaysian athlete, there could have been a mistake or mix up in the result.

“It was a very inordinate delay from the moment the sample was collected until it was handed to the lab. We will put up an appeal. We have spoken to the exponent and we believe she is innocent,” he said.

- Agencies

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