SPOT CHECKS PART OF ONGOING INITIATIVES TO TACKLE DOPING MENACE - MWF

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 (Bernama) -- The spot checks conducted by the Anti-Doping Agency of Malaysia (ADAMAS) on national weightlifters is an ongoing initiative by the Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (MWF) to ensure the sport stays free from doping issues.

MWF president Datuk Ayub Rahmat stressed that they are always committed to tackling the matter to ensure doping incidents do not recur, thus increasing society's trust in the sport.

"We are grateful as we are now clear (from doping issues) because that is one of our concerns. So, we are extremely strict about this issue. We do not want any more doping problems and we currently have an ongoing collaboration with ADAMAS, with briefings held at every national championship.

"We have also asked ADAMAS to carry out periodic and spot checks. This means all lifters must be ever ready whenever ADAMAS carries out its checks… so, that is one of the things we do to prevent a recurrence of doping issues,” he told Bernama recently.

Weightlifting was previously plagued with doping issues and some of the national lifters who were sanctioned for such offences in 2021 included 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Azroy Hazalwafie Izhar Ahmad and Muhammad Ikram Haikal Muhammad Zuari.

In addition, the 2022 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Games (SUKMA) was also marred when five weightlifters were caught in the doping scandal, with three of them found to have used banned substances Metandienone, Terbutaline and Oxymetholone.

Two weightlifting medallists at SUKMA 2022 also tested positive for anabolic-androgenic steroids.

However, Ayub was reported to have said that the sport of weightlifting has recorded no doping issues for the past two years (2023 and 2024).

-- BERNAMA