KUALA LUMPUR: The Anti-doping Agency of Malaysia (Adamas) has confirmed that all national athletes heading to the Paris Olympics (Jul 26-Aug 11) have been tested for drugs in the lead up to the event.
Adamas director Azura Abidin said this is in line with the global pre-games anti-doping programme for the Olympics, launched by the International Testing Agency (ITA) in October last year.
Doping controls (testing) have been conducted on all athletes, including those who are part of the registered testing pool and testing pool, as well as those who are expected to represent Malaysia in international competitions," said Azura recently.
"The implementation of the controls is in line with our obligations, as a national anti-doping organisation (NADO), towards major event organisers such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as well as ITA.
"ITA launched the pre-games programme last year to ensure an effective (anti-doping) programme towards athletes that will be competing at the Olympics.
"The testing of (national) athletes who are currently abroad is done with the cooperation of (athlete's respective) international federation and NADO (of the country they are currently in)."
Under ITA's pre-games programme, athletes with high-risk profiles will undergo multiple rounds of testing. The majority of testing is done between April and July.
Azura added that both Paris Olympic and Paralympic (Aug 28-Sep 8) athletes have been subjected to both in-competition and out-of-competition testing.
Adamas is collaborating with the National Sports Council as well as various sports bodies and agencies to obtain the necessary information to conduct risk assessment evaluations, and subsequently develop a test distribution plan according to the International Standard of Testing and Investigations.