THE scandal over three national athletes who have gone AWOL a fter missing a mandatory doping test is descending into a farce.
Union (MAAU) is refusing to come clean as to their exact whereabouts.
who had declined to take the test — Noor Imran Ab Hadi, Norjannah Hafiszah and Nurul Sarah Abd Kadir — left for Bulgaria last Wednesday night.
He maintained it was a scheduled trip.
This is is, however, in conflict with the stand of the Bulgarian Athletics Federation, whom yesterday denied knowledge of any Malaysian athletes in the country.
A Bulgarian federation official told The Malay Mail yesterday they had, in fact, offered a training stint for
Malaysian athletes in their country, but MAAU did not respond to the offer.
Karim, meanwhile, disagreed with the common perception the athletes had ‘ own the coop’.
“How can they say the athletes ran away? They were already scheduled to leave that day. Now because of some people with their own agenda, the other three athletes are still here.”
Karim, however, refused to disclose their exact location, except to say they would be taking part in a competition in the Bulgarian capital city of So fia on Thursday.
Three other athletes who eventually took the doping test last ursday — Siti Fatima Mohamed, Siti Zubaidah
Adabi and Yee Li Leng — are still in the country.
Karim said the National Sports Council (NSC) did not allow the three athletes to travel to Bulgaria until a er
the results of their respective doping tests came back.
“Why the double standards? There were other athletes who took the doping tests but they were allowed
to leave."
“Why didn’t they have to wait for the results to come back? So, NSC are playing games.”
Karim was referring to 400m hurdler Noraseela Khalid, hammer thrower Tan Song Hwa and walker Loo
Choon Sieng whom he also wanted to know their whereabouts. (According to NSC’s ‘Elite’ programme, they le ft
for various parts of Europe, except Bulgaria, last week for training and competitions.)
Karim said while he saw Siti Fatima training at the Bukit Jalil tracks yesterday morning, he was clueless
about where Siti Zubaidah and Yee were.
He also con rmed national athletics chief coach Harun Rasheed did not go to Bulgaria because of the latter’s
daughter’s wedding.
National Sports Institute (NSI) director-general Datuk Dr Ramlan Aziz, meanwhile, said he had also not heard from MAAU about the athletes who “skipped” the doping test.
They must respond to our letter as soon as possible.
"If MAAU are not forthcoming, then we will have to notify the International Amateur Athletics Federation and the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM)."
Article 2.3 of the World Anti-Doping Agency Code states it is a violation for an athlete to not appear for
a doping test when called upon to do so.
The Malay Mail had earlier reported the three athletes who first skipped the test but eventually provided
their samples had disclosed they were given "pink tablets" by a coach, apparently for recovery and relaxation.
"If we know where they are, we will either send a team or get the help of our Bulgarian counterparts to test them," said Ramlan. OCM secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi, meanwhile, said NSC and MAAU should be on the same page in this matter. "They should work together.
At the end of the day, MAAU are the rightful national association governing the sport.
"The whole situation is bizarre.This is the first time I've heard of our local athletes skipping tests. I really didn't expect such a thing.
"This matter is out of our jurisdiction as it did not occur during a competition."
Haresh Deol - MALAY MAIL
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