KUALA LUMPUR: China do not want nations whose athletes have failed doping tests to train in their country.
The Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (MWF) have decided to send their athletes to Vietnam for training instead of China who do not want to accept the national athletes following Hafifi Mansor’s doping scandal.
The 27-year-old Commonwealth champion from Terengganu will likely be slapped with a four-year suspension after testing positive for anabolic steroid oxymetholone at the Australian Open in Melbourne in March last year.
Malaysia’s Azroy Hazal Wafie Izhar Ahmad and Aznil Bidin will head to Vietnam next month to prepare for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April.
“Both weightlifters will train in Vietnam under China-born coach Wang Zhiquan. China have refused as they do not want to be associated with doping,” said team manager Amirul Hamizan Ibrahim.
The 10 weightlifters bound for Gold Coast are Erry Hidayat, Azroy, Aznil, Abdul Mubin Rahim, Mohd Fazrul Azrie Mohdad, Muhd Norfarhan Ideris (105+kg), Sharifah Inani Najwa Syed Anuar (53kg), Marlyne Marceeta Marcus (58kg), Japrielle Teo (75kg) and Siti Aisyah Mohd Rosli (90kg).