Lee (second, right) and organisers of the Animazing Race presenting a prize to a winner at BCCK yesterday.
KUCHING: Sarawak sports officials are determined to prove that weightlifter Jelinie Empera did not take any prohibited drugs before or during this year’s Sukma in Perlis.
Assistant Minister of Sports Datuk Lee Kim Shin told The Borneo Post yesterday that the Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS) are in the process of collecting all the evidence to prove that she was indeed innocent.
“I believe she is innocent and we will do everyting to prove that she is. Failing a dope tests is never the characteristic of a Sarawakian sportsman or sportswoman,” he stressed.
He revealed that he will only contact Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin after all the evidence have been gathered.
“We view this allegation as a serious matter as it involves the pride of the state and its sports development. We will not stop until we are sure that the whole thing was just a misunderstanding,” Lee added.
Jelinie, who was crowned Sukma XVII Sportswoman 2014, was alleged to have been tested positive for steroids after winning two gold medals at the national games in May.
MSNS acting director Lucas Kalang Laeng recently said that she did not take prohibited drugs but had consumed traditional medicine before the games while she was at her village to control her menstrual period.
Khairy was reported to have said that Jelinie was stripped of the gold medals as her samples A and B were found to be positive after being tested in India. Malaysia do not have the facilities to conduct doping tests for athletes.
Lee was speaking at the sidelines as he officiated at the 2nd Animazing Race organised by the Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) at the Borneo Convention Centre, Kuching (BCCK).
Also present during the function was Kuching City North Comission mayor Datuk Bandar Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai.