Six Olympics-bound athletes undergo dope tests

ISLAMABAD: Top six Olympics-bound athletes including medal favourite Arshad Nadeem (javelin) underwent dope tests ahead of the Tokyo Olympics that gets underway from July 25.

The remaining two athletes (one shooter and a badminton player) will shortly be tested in Karachi.

The tests were conducted on the Olympics-bound athletes during the last three days in Lahore and in Jhelum.

“We have conducted dope tests on six athletes so far while the remaining two athletes will be tested within the next couple of days. The initiative was taken by the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) considering zero-tolerance policy and with a purpose that all the athletes embarking on the trip to Tokyo must be clean in all respect. The POA has written a letter to the Anti-Doping Organization of Pakistan (ADOP) to conduct dope tests at the earliest so that the results should be made available before athletes’ departure to Japan,” Dr Waqar Ahmed, Chairman ADOP said.

He added that three athletes including javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem were tested for doping the other day in Lahore.

“We have already dispatched the samples to the authorised laboratories in Qatar while remaining samples will be sent shortly. Our efforts are to get the results of all the tests in time before the Pakistan contingent departure to Tokyo. Following the recent experience of athletes during the South Asian Games, the POA wants to ensure that all athletes participating in the mega event should be clean in all respects,” the ADOP chairman said.

When questioned that who was bearing the expenses as it was an expensive practice, he said after receiving the request from the POA, he approached Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) that suggested that they would need time to sanction the amount.

“We got back to the POA which responded positively and helped in meeting the expenses till the time the PSB gets the amount sanctioned. Since you require at least 20 working days to get results, it would have been difficult had we waited for the start of next financial year that begins not before July 1 for the PSB to sanction the amount.”

Dr Waqar said that ADOP wanted to get results by July 10 before the contingent departure.

“As is the case with all the leading sports nations, conducting tests in time is important. All over the world, leading countries follow this practice and I think it should be followed everywhere for clean and better competition. Those arriving for the mega event in Tokyo must and should be clean. That is the true spirit of sports. Sports competition is more about competing against each other in a free and fair manner rather using negative tactics to win,” Dr Waqar added.