DOHA – Iraqi bodybuilder Saad Faeaz has been thrown out of the Asian Games for attempting to bring banned performance-enhancing drugs into Qatar, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said yesterday.
The athlete was caught with 134 ampoules of nandrolone, an anabolic steroid which helps build muscle bulk, at Doha international airport on December 4, OCA director general Husain al-Musallem announced. Despite this, Faeaz competed in the 75 kg category four days later and finished seventh in the pre-judging section.The OCA said they had not been informed by Qatari authorities of the name of the athlete involved by December 8, which meant he was able to compete.”His result is cancelled and he is disqualified,” said Musallem, adding that it was the first time in Asian Games history that an athlete had been thrown out for doping offences without a laboratory test.Qatari authorities said nandrolone was not a banned drug in Qatar, only a banned drug on the OCA list, and as such Faeaz would not face criminal charges.Iraq is taking part in its first Asian Games in 20 years.Nampa-AFPDespite this, Faeaz competed in the 75 kg category four days later and finished seventh in the pre-judging section.The OCA said they had not been informed by Qatari authorities of the name of the athlete involved by December 8, which meant he was able to compete.”His result is cancelled and he is disqualified,” said Musallem, adding that it was the first time in Asian Games history that an athlete had been thrown out for doping offences without a laboratory test.Qatari authorities said nandrolone was not a banned drug in Qatar, only a banned drug on the OCA list, and as such Faeaz would not face criminal charges.Iraq is taking part in its first Asian Games in 20 years.Nampa-AFP
