KUALA LUMPUR: This year alone there has already been four doping cases involving national weightlifters, and the Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (MWF) have taken drastic action by barring Malaysian weightlifters from competing or taking part in any international championships, tournaments and meets for a year effective Tuesday.
Despite the upcoming Asian Games in Indonesia taking place this August, the sport’s national body made the shocking decision which is also a message to the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) just how serious they are in addressing and dealing with such negative issues and problems.
NSTP Sport went out on the streets to get the public’s reaction on the ‘suspension’.
Muhammad Syafiq Mohd Asri, 30, self-employed
The shocking decision by the association definitely took the weightlifting athletes by surprise what more with the Asian Games looming just around the corner.
But our weightlifters need to accept such a move and instead use it as a stern reminder not to do the wrong thing or move by getting involved in doping.
Meor Redzuan Meor Mohd Danial, 29, site supervisor
There are too many doping cases happening of late involving not just senior weightlifters but young and upcoming juniors as well.
Could it be that such banned substances are easily obtainable so weightlifting athletes take a shortcut in order to achieve success?
For me, such a move is a must and the association needs to find a way to curb and eradicate the use of such banned substances among Malaysian weightlifters.
Nurhayati Ismail, 27, housewife
Such a punishment whereby weightlifting athletes cannot take part in international competitions and championships for a year is too long a period.
With the Asian Games being a miss this year, there’s also the Sea Games taking place next year and our national weightlifters will end up missing out on putting their abilities to the test on the international stage.
The association needs to find a way so that all the athletes understand the severe and dire consequences of doping and they do not make such grave mistakes that not just ruins their sporting careers but brings a bad name and negative publicity to the sport.
Mohd Sharul Ezwan Mohamad,26, customer service centre operator
Perhaps this could be a good, valuable lesson for all our weightlifting athletes not to take doping lightly or even dare get involved in it.
They must realise that when they compete, that they are representing the country and taking the easy way out to achieve success is not the way.
They should be ashamed of themselves as weightlifting athletes from other countries can win without the illicit use of banned subtances.
Muhammad Syahiran Mohd Yunos, 25, engineer’s assistant
Apart from suspending the weightlifting athletes from international competitions, perhaps the association needs to think long and hard about combating and fighting the use of banned substances.
The move to make it a must for weightlifting athletes to undergo doping tests before competing in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) is just one way of combating the doping issue.
And why not get the athletes to undergo dope tests much earlier before taking part in competitions?
Mohammad Rafieni Mohd Yazid, 27, technician
I pity the weightlifting athletes because the Asian Games is just around the corner and some of them would have already prepared to compete.
Why couldn’t the association wait till after the Asian Games to mete out such a suspension in the first place?
Just because of a few bad apples the rest of the athletes end up having to pay such a price which is unfair to them.
