''Guangzhou Asiad to have largest-ever number of dope tests''

Wed, Nov 03 10 01:38 PM

Beijing Nov 3 (PTI) The 16th Asian Games in the city of Guangzhou this month will have the "largest-ever number" of dope tests in the event''s history, a top anti-doping official here has claimed. "We will have about 1,500 urine samples and 200 blood samples during the Asian Games," said Zhao Jian, deputy director general of the China Anti-doping Agency (CHINADA), who is in charge of doping control for the Asiad. "The number is a record for the Asian Games and we will start work on November 6," he was quoted as saying by the official media here. The Games will take place from Nov 12 to 27 in Guangzhou. Chinese official say the event will attract about 11,700 athletes from 45 countries who will compete for 476 gold medals. During the Doha Asian Games four years ago, about 1,200 samples were tested and blood testing was introduced for the first time. All the urine samples for the Asian Games will be sent to CHINADA''s laboratory in Beijing, which carried out the doping tests for the 2008 Olympic Games. The samples will be flown to Beijing each day. Like the Beijing Games, negative results will be reported within 24 hours of its arrival at the lab while positive results will be reported within 48 hours. "During the Guangzhou Asian Games, there will be about 100 staff working for the doping control and about 30 staff in the lab," Zhao said. "The doping control and tests will be conducted along Olympic standards as we upgraded two thirds of our facilities before the Beijing Games," he said. "Three foreign experts will also work in the laboratory and the management system for all the samples and results will be in accordance with the rules. Athletes from all the countries and regions can be at ease that the process will be conducted fairly," he said. Chinese officials say utmost importance will be accorded to a clean doping record. To ensure the Chinese athletes have clean home Games, all members of the team will receive strict anti-doping training, examinations and drug tests before entering the Asian Games Village. "For the Guangzhou Asian Games, China will send its largest-ever delegation and one of the priorities for the squad is to be clean at the Games," Zhao said. "Starting in September, experts from CHINADA went to give lectures and supervise the examinations of athletes at all the training bases across the country. Athletes could only qualify for the Asian Games if they passed the paper examination and the drug tests," Zhao said. The access system requires all athletes training for the Asian Games to attend anti-doping lectures and pass a written examination. .

Source: Published>