Reminder for athletes to keep their integrity intact

I REFER to the StarSport report “Double blow” (Oct 4).

Our national aquatics under the banner of the Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (Asum) is currently hogging the sport headlines for the wrong reason.

A rape and doping scandal is rocking the sport which had enjoyed huge success at the world stage, with its world-class divers winning medals.

One of our finest divers who had participated in the World Championship and Olympics has been tested positive for taking a banned substance. The athlete concerned allegedly consumed a “slim- ming product” which is not thought to be a performanceenhancing drug.

Have our athletes not learned the bitter lesson from doping cases – bodybuilding, athletics, cycling, wushu, badminton and weightlifting – in the past? Just to recall one case, in 2013, eight bodybuilders were tested positive for banned substances in the Mr Malaysia competition.

To the frustration of the National Sports Institute (NSI) and AntiDoping Agency of Malaysia (Adamas), some athletes are still ignoring the health and other risks involved in taking banned sub- stances despite all their effort in educating, training and engaging with them.

When an athlete is found to have used banned substances after thorough investigation, he or she will be banned by the respective sport governing body for at least four years, depending on the case.

To make things worse for Asum, an assistant diving coach was picked up by police for allegedly raping a back-up swimmer.

These two ugly incidents must serve as a reminder to all our athletes who are preparing for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games next year that their personal con- duct and integrity cannot be compromised.

C. SATHASIVAM SITHERAVELLU Seremban