Almost 800 urine samples taken from athletes during KL2017: Dr Cheema

KUALA LUMPUR: The 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games (KL2017) medical and anti-doping committee collected a total of 799 urine and 32 blood samples from the athletes in the Games which officially closes today after 17 days of competition.
The committee's head Datuk Dr S. S. Cheema said all samples they collected were sent immediately after the respective events ended to the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) accredited laboratory in New Delhi, where the cost of analysis is much cheaper compared to another accredited laboratory in Bangkok.
"We can get the results within 48 hours after we send the samples to the lab in India but we have to wait 10 days for the official report.
"The full report that I get from the lab will then be presented to the SEA Games Federation (SEAGF) at its next council meeting," he told Bernama, today.
Dr Cheema, who is also Olympic Council Malaysia Medical and Doping Committee head, pointed out that the number of urine and blood sample taken during KL2017 was much higher since the number of sports and events increased slightly compared to 2015 edition in Singapore where more than 600 urine samples were taken from the athletes.

Malaysia hosted 38 sports and 404 events as compared to 36 sports and 402 events in Singapore.
"We did not only carry out the doping test on all medalists but we were also going after athletes in certain sports which have a history of doping offences, but I could not revealed the sports," he said.
"I'm quite satisfied since all parties including the athletes and also the officials gave full cooperation when we carried out the urine and also the blood tests during KL2017," added Dr Cheema ,who has also served as a member in the SEAGF medical and doping committee since 2007.
He also revealed that a task force of 150 including 79 anti-doping control officers from the Anti-Doping Agency of Malaysia (Adamas) and 50 volunteers were involved to collect the urine and also the blood samples from athletes at KL2017. — Bernama