KUALA LUMPUR: It’s out in the open now.
After months of speculation, the Malaysian Bodybuilding Federation (MBBF) on Monday named 10-time world and nine-time Asia champion Sazali Samad as the athlete who failed the dope test on Sept 22.
“Sazali will be banned for four years,” said the MBBF.
The 48-year-old Sazali was slated to compete in the 49th Asian Body Building Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from Sept 29-Oct 5, but withdrew citing a back injury.
The MBBF said in a statement that Sazali had taken a dope test on Sept 1 and the urine sample had contained the banned S1 Class (anabolic agents) substance.
“Sazali accepted the result and did not request for another test (B sample). He claimed that he was not aware that the supplements he took contained banned substances. And he also admitted that he did not consult the National Sports Institute (NSI) for that particular supplement that he took,” said the MBBF.
Sazali was absent when the MBBF made the revelation on Monday.
When contacted, Sazali said he would only issue a statement on Wednesday.
“I have nothing to say at the moment. I’m in the midst of preparing a press statement, which I will release it on Wednesday. I just want to relax my mind for now.”
MBBF deputy president Datuk Dr Ahmad Badrus Othman said they would stand by Sazali, saying he was “careless for once after having a clean record for more than two decades”.
“It’s an unfortunate incident for Sazali after years of putting his life and soul in the sport and putting Malaysia on the map,” said Ahmad.
“Like other national bodybuilders, Sazali underwent doping test at least twice a year and was never tested positive.
“But Sazali is also human. He was just careless this time. All bodybuilders take supplements to complement their training.
“We were told that he took the supplements on a friend’s recommendation for the past two to three months (prior to the test),” said Ahmad.
When asked whether the four-year ban would end the four-time National Sportsman of the Year’s career, Ahmad said: “Believe me, he will rise up again and be a champion. Even until today, he did not stop training. He loves bodybuilding so much.
“It’s still possible for him to compete at the top level. He can continue to represent the country in the Masters (senior) category.”
Malaysian athletes with doping violations recently:
- Weightlifter Mohd Azril Huzairi Ramli has been provisionally suspended the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) in November after he was tested positive for the banned substance D-methamphetamine. Azril was a double gold medal winner at last year’s Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Perlis.
- Eight bodybuilders taking part in the Mr Malaysia competition were tested positive for a banned substance in June last year and they were each handed two-year bans.
- Weightlifter Jelinie Empera was banned for two years after testing positive for anabolic steroid during Perlis Sukma.
- Wushu exponent Tai Cheau Xuen – the first Malaysian gold medallist at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games – tested positive for the stimulant sibutramine and was banned for four months.
- Shuttler Lee Chong Wei was tested positive for dexamethasone during the World Championships in Copenhagen August last year and was suspended for eight months.
- National track cyclist Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom had his 18-month ban reduced to 12 for dexamethasone last year.
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