All Malaysian athletes to have dope test before SEA Games

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - All Malaysian athletes taking part in Southeast Asian Games in June will have undergone a doping test before arriving in Singapore, the country's sports minister said. Malaysia has been rocked by high-profile doping cases in recent months with the country's most famous athlete, former badminton number one Lee Chong Wei, provisionally suspended after he failed a test at the world championships in August. Tai Cheau Xuen became the first Malaysian Asian Games gold medalist to fail a drugs test after the Wushu exponent tested positive for sibutramine and was kicked out of the multi-sport event after failing with an appeal in October. "I have ordered the Malaysian Anti-Doping Agency (ADAMAS) to conduct doping tests on every athlete going to the SEA Games," Khairy Jamaluddin was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency on Tuesday. Bernama said only 30 percent of Malaysian athletes had been previously tested before going to a major sports event. Malaysia sent more than 500 athletes to the last Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar in 2013. The 28th SEA Games will take place from June 5-16 with athletes from the 11 nations that make up Southeast Asia taking part in an eclectic mix of 36 sports including athletics, billiards, sepak takraw and swimming. (Writing by Patrick Johnston in Singapore; Editing by Peter Rutherford)