MWF’S SELF-IMPOSED BAN TOO HEAVY FOR AZROY
Azroy: MWF’s self-imposed ban an injustice to innocent weightlifters
KUALA LUMPUR: Commonwealth Games gold medallist Mohd Azroy Hazalwafie Izhar Ahmad is crying foul over the self-imposed ban made by the Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (MWF).
The national body decided on Wednesday against sending their athletes to international competitions for a year following a series of doping cases involving their weightlifters.
The ban came into effect from yesterday until May 31, 2019.
The 24-year-old Azroy, who is in the Podium Programme, said it is unfair for the MWF to ban weightlifters who are not involved in doping from competing in international competitions for a year.
“I’m shocked by the decision as this will affect the performance of national lifters like me, who are eager to compete in international meets to qualify for the 2020 Olympics.
“I was looking forward to making my debut in the Asian Games in Jakarta in August. I’m training hard to achieve a personal best in the Asian Games after breaking two Commonwealth Games records in Gold Coast last month.
“I also want to compete in the World Championships in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, from Nov 1-10, which is the qualifying meet for the Olympics.
“But my dream of making the Asian Games and qualifying for the 2020 Olympics has been dashed by this decision,” said Azroy.
Azroy delivered the first gold medal for Malaysia in the Games in the men’s below 56kg category with a total lift of 261kg – 117kg in snatch and 144kg in clean and jerk.
He broke an eight-year record in snatch by lifting 1kg more to better Amirul Hamizan Ibrahim’s Games record of 116kg, which the Malaysian set in the 2010 New Delhi Games.
Azroy also broke Amirul’s total record of 260kg set in Manchester in 2002 – 16 years ago.
“I sincerely request the MWF to reconsider the decision made as this would affect the performance of the Podium Programme lifters and also those who are not involved in doping,” said Azroy, adding that competing in domestic competitions is not beneficial.
Newly-elected MWF president Datuk Ayub Rahmat said the drastic move was meant to show the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) that they are taking the matter very seriously.
Ayub said they want to send a clear message to the IWF that they do not tolerate doping within the national team and will do whatever it takes to eradicate the problem.
MWF made the drastic decision after four weightlifters – Mohd Fazrul Azrie Mohdad, Muhd Hakimie Haikal Nordin, Muhd Zaidi Nordin and Ronny Jesos – tested positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol recently.
Mohd Fazrul, who won bronze in the men’s below 85kg category in the Commonwealth Games, failed a pre-Games doping test and has to return the medal while the juniors lifters were caught by surprise tests done by the IWF on March 28.