China's anti-doping lab will test a record number of blood and urine samples at this month's Asian Games, and all Chinese athletes will be tested before the event begins, state press said Wednesday.
China's anti-doping lab will test a record number of blood and urine samples at this month's Asian Games, and all Chinese athletes will be tested before the event begins, state press said Wednesday.
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Nearly 12,000 athletes from 45 nations and territories will participate in the November 12-27 Asiad -- the world's biggest sporting event after the Olympic Games -- in the southern city of Guangzhou.
During the event, the China Anti-Doping Agency plans to test 1,500 urine samples and more than 200 blood samples, the China Daily quoted the deputy head of the agency, Zhao Jian, as saying.
"The number is a record for the Asian Games," Zhao said. "We will start work on November 6."
All samples will be tested at the agency's world-class testing lab in Beijing, which conducted drug screenings for the 2008 Summer Olympics, and the tests will be carried out in accordance with Olympic standards, he added.
In an effort to maintain a clean Team China, Chinese sports officials have ordered anti-doping education and the testing of all team members before the Games start, Zhao said.
"All the athletes have to be proved clean before moving into the Asian Games Village," Zhao said.
"Athletes and coaches who have dirty records in doping tests will have no chance to represent China in Guangzhou."
China's anti-doping agency has already tested more than 10,000 Chinese athletes for banned substances this year, he added.
Despite the determination to weed out cheats, China has had several setbacks in 2010.
Beijing Olympic women's judo champion Tong Wen was banned for two years for testing positive for clenbuterol, and national women's 100m champion sprinter Wang Jing was banned for life after testing positive for epitestosterone.
Chinese cyclist Li Fuyu also tested positive for clenbuterol in August.
"We will organise the strictest drug tests ever for the upcoming Guangzhou Asian Games to show the world we have not relaxed our alertness since the Beijing Olympics," Duan Shijie, vice minister of sports, said earlier.
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