Datuk Lee Chong Wei reacts after losing the World Championship men’s singles final to China’s Chen Long at the Ballerup Super Arena Stadium in Copenhagen, in this Aug 31 file photo. — Bernama photo
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian badminton officials expressed ‘shock’ yesterday in their first response to doping allegations following reports that world number one Datuk Lee Chong Wei failed a test.
The officials refused to identify the player, pending a second test, but local media has reported that the top shutter tested positive for a banned substance at the world championships in Denmark in late August.
“One of our athletes in one major tournament has been found positive,” Badminton Association of Malaysia deputy president Datuk Norza Zakaria told reporters after officials met for more than two hours to discuss the matter.
“We are very shocked, sad, and it is an earth-shattering news to us… We are hoping, keeping our fingers crossed that things will come to a positive conclusion at the end of the day.”
Norza confirmed that a second test would be conducted on Nov 4 or 5 after an initial test found the banned substance dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory drug.
Test results are expected within “one or two days”, he said.
He declined to give further details.
Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had said on Tuesday that authorities were informed in an Oct 1 letter of the failed doping test.
Local media have since reported Chong Wei failed the random test after the championship’s semi-finals. He lost in the final to China’s Chen Long.
Malaysians have expressed shock and disbelief over the allegations against Chong Wei, one of only two prominent sports personalities in the country and a national icon.
Chong Wei, who received stem cell injections in July as treatment for a thigh injury, has not commented on the claims.
Earlier this month, badminton was already hit with allegations of match fixing by two Danish players, who said they were approached by a Malaysian man via Facebook to throw matches.
Badminton officials yesterday condemned match fixing, saying they would work with authorities probing the matter.
It is also not the first doping scandal facing Malaysia recently.
On Saturday, two weightlifters were reportedly banned for two years for a doping offence in a local tournament in June.
Earlier this month, the head of the Wushu Federation of Malaysia Datuk Martin Lim resigned to take responsibility after Asian Games champion Tai Cheau Xuen tested positive for doping and was stripped of her gold medal. — AFP