Doping scandal clouds Asian Games

Doha: Two Uzbekistan weightlifters tested positive for banned substances and were disqualified from the Asian Games, officials said on Sunday, a day after announcing the games' first doping case in the same sport.

Elmira Ramileva, who placed fifth in the women's 69-kilogram division, tested positive to the anabolic steroid Stanazolol in a test taken on December 4.

Alexander Urinov, who was seventh in the men's 105-kilogram class, returned positive for cannabis in a December 3 sample.

Both athletes admitted to taking the substances and waived their right to a test on their B samples, Olympic Council of Asia director general Husain Al Musallam said.

"All the medalists in these two events were tested and no (other) positive case has been reported," said Al Mussallam.

On Saturday, Than Kyi Kyi, a female weightlifter from Myanmar, tested positive for a banned diuretic.

Than, a former world championships gold medalist who placed fourth in the 58-kilogram division in the Games, waived her right to have a B sample tested after her initial urine sample on December 2 showed elevated traces of furosemide. Diuretics can be used to mask steroids.

All cases have been referred to the International Weightlifting Federation for further action. Than and Ramileva faced two-year bans from competition.

Doping offenses has plagued weightlifting.

India was suspended from international weightlifting competitions, for the second time in less than two years, after four of its weightlifters failed doping tests during, and just ahead of, the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in March.

India's weightlifting team turned down the opportunity to attend the Asian Games, despite the offer of a dispensation in return for paying a US$50,000 fine.

Last month Indian Weightlifting Federation general secretary Balbir Singh Bhatia said the decision to keep the lifters at home was because they were 'out of shape'.

Two-time Olympic heavyweight champion Hossein Rezazadeh, dubbed the "Iranian Hercules," won weightlifting gold at Doha last Wednesday but was only allowed into competition after the Iranian federation paid a fine of US$400,000 to the IWF in lieu of suspension for all of its athletes following adverse findings against some of their teammates.

The World Anti-Doping Agency tested 11 Iranian weightlifters on September 10 in advance of the world championships in the Dominican Republic. Nine tested positive for excessive levels of testosterone.

Eight of the nine weightlifters were suspended for two years and a ninth banned for life - they did not compete at Doha.

Musallam has shrugged off suggestions that the latest doping scandal could spell the end of weightlifting as an Asian Games event.

"The weightlifting is on the Asian Games program and the Olympic Games program ... we can't punish all athletes worldwide because of an individual's act," he said on Saturday. "The Asian Games will not kick out this sport."