KBS, ADAMAS Call For More Awareness Of Doping Issues Ahead Of 2027 SEA Games

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 (Bernama) -- The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS), through the Anti-Doping Agency of Malaysia (ADAMAS), has called on all parties to be more aware of doping issues ahead of the 2027 SEA Games, in order to prepare Malaysia’s contingent towards a more integrity-driven sports landscape.

The ministry said that firm action in the management of recent anti-doping cases saw two national bodybuilding athletes handed suspensions of three and four years respectively, starting from December 16, 2025.

“This action was taken transparently following in-competition testing, where a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory in Doha confirmed the presence of prohibited substances, namely stanozolol and metenolone.

“As such, both athletes are strictly prohibited from participating in any sporting activities under any signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code throughout the suspension period,” the ministry said in a statement today.

It also noted ADAMAS’s consistency in safeguarding the integrity of sports was evident through firm action taken in previous cases, including the abuse of anabolic androgenic steroids involving weightlifting athletes in 2022, as well as a 2023 athletics case where an athlete was suspended for two years after testing positive for the banned substance sibutramine.

KBS reiterated that under the Principle of Strict Liability, every athlete must always remain vigilant and bear full responsibility for any substances found in their body, regardless of intent.

“With clear understanding and a high level of personal integrity among athletes and their support personnel, we are confident that every national achievement on the international stage will be attained in a clean, fair, and proud manner,” it added.

-- BERNAMA