High jumper Jia Xin gets two-year doping ban

KUALA LUMPUR: National woman high jumper Ngu Jia Xin (pix) is confirmed to have failed a doping test last year and handed a two-year ban from taking part in any competitions from June 2, 2023 to June 1, 2025.

This was confirmed by Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) medical committee chairman Datuk R. Annamalai, who added that the high jumper is set to make an appeal following the punishment meted out.

“She wants to appeal,” he said briefly when contacted today.

The Anti-Doping Agency of Malaysia (Adamas) said in a statement today that the high jumper can submit an appeal by writing to Adamas by Jan 24 at the latest.

“The hearing panel decided that the athlete had contravened the Adamas Anti-Doping Rules 2021.

“The whole process was conducted transparently and adhering to the Adamas Anti-Doping Rules 2021 and International Standard for Results Management (ISRM) in force,” Adamas said in the statement.

Last June, Adamas announced that a track and field athlete failed a doping test at the Malaysia Athletics Federation (MAF) Track and Field Championships earlier in February (2023) at the National Sports Council (NSC) Mini Stadium.

Adamas confirmed that the results were positive for the use of the banned substance sibutramine.

The athlete was then temporarily suspended from participating in any tournament until the outcome of the hearing process.

The athlete also did not request for the ‘B sample’ to be tested and instead opted for a hearing process to be held last July.

Meanwhile, Adamas also reminded every athlete to be fully responsible for substances in their urine or blood samples, which are taken during doping control tests.

“It doesn’t matter if an athlete knowingly or accidentally took the banned substances. As such, all athletes and athlete support staff need to comply with anti-doping rules and understand their responsibilities under the World Anti-Doping Code. -Bernama