KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — The Malaysian Weightlifting Association (PABM) has taken precautionary measures to prevent its athletes from getting snarled by the doping issue ahead of the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines in November.

PABM vice president, Amirul Hamizan Ibrahim, said for now, national weightlifting athletes had to report their daily whereabouts through the Malaysian Anti-Doping Agency (Adamas) system.

“The athletes have to update their daily whereabouts even when they are on holiday or participating in any tournament. The daily whereabouts have to be recorded quarterly.

“If they fail to report, the athlete will not be eligible to compete internationally,” he said when met after attending the SEA Games Selection Committee Meeting at Wisma OCM, yesterday.

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The Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS) is an athletes’ daily activity profile network which has been adopted internationally.

“Through the system that was developed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), weightlifting athletes have to update their profiles, locations and their daily activities,” he said.

He noted that the information will be sent to WADA, allowing Adamas or any anti-doping organisation to conduct an anti-doping test without prior notice to eradicate  substance  abuse among athletes.

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Previously, doping had been an endless issue among national weightlifters at several international and local competitions, prompting the sport to receive serious attention from the Youth and Sports Ministry and the National Sports Council (NSC).

Commenting on the medal target at this year’s SEA Games, Amirul Hamizan said that the governing body has set an initial target of one silver and one bronze medal.

“We dare not set more because we have to look at our athlete’s performance first. Many categories that are being contested are new categories, so many countries (their athletes) have yet to come out (to compete in the new categories). There are only two or three international tournaments (that the new categories are contested), we are constantly updating on it,” he said. — Bernama