OCA Announces Sapporo 2017 'Clean Games'

The Olympic Council of Asia has announced that the 8th Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan, last month were doping-free.

The Games were held from February 19-26, 2017, and involved 1,152 athletes from 32 National Olympic Committees in five sports, 11 disciplines and 64 events.

Under the supervision of the OCA’s Medical Committee and Anti-Doping Commission, 200 athletes provided urine samples for analysis at the WADA-accredited laboratory in Tokyo. None of the samples were positive.

The OCA Medical Committee and Anti-Doping Commission Chairman Tan Sri Dr. Jegathesan said in a statement: "The Medical Committee and Anti-Doping Commission of the Olympic Council of Asia is delighted to announce the absence of any adverse analytical findings for doping during the recent 8th Sapporo Asian Winter Games.

"This allows the Games to earn the accolade ‘Clean Games’. All lab reports were negative."

For the first time in the history of the Asian Winter Games, which was first held in 1986, NOCs from Oceania were invited to enter guest athletes in individual sports only.

Australia and New Zealand both sent teams to Sapporo, and the anti-doping programme included the testing of Oceania athletes alongside competitors from the 30 NOCs affiliated to the OCA.

At the 7th Asian Winter Games in Astana-Almaty, Kazakhstan, in 2011, there were two positive cases.

Tan Sri Dr. Jegathesan added: "All athletes have a responsibility to keep sport clean by abiding with anti-doping rules and avoiding violating these rules.

"The OCA’s ultimate goal is to protect clean athletes and the integrity of sport by providing a safe and fair competition environment at all its Games."

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