SE Asian Games: Thai player tests positive

Korat:

A Thai field hockey player became the first athlete to be expelled from the Southeast Asian Games after failing a drug test, games officials said on Sunday.

The male player, whose name was not immediately released, tested positive for steroids in a pre-competition urine test, said Kanokphan Julakasem, head of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT).

In addition to expulsion from the 11-nation games, the player will likely be banned from competition in his sport for two years.

Dr. Chataruporn na Nakon - deputy governor for sports promotion with the SAT - said a second Thai athlete, a female gymnast, also failed a drug test for an undisclosed substance one week before the beginning of the games.

She will receive the same punishment as meted out to the hockey player, he said.

Jatuporn said the test on the hockey player showed traces of methyltestosterone, an illegal muscle-building drug. The random test was given on December 6, two days before the beginning of hockey competition at the SEA Games.

Chataruporn said the hockey player, who did not play in competition at the event, admitted taking the drug so it was not necessary to test a second sample of his urine.

He said the gymnast also admitted taking an illegal substance.

Chataruporn said prior to the games that there would be at least 500 random tests at the event.