KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- The National Sports Institute (ISN) wants the Malaysian Athletics Union (MAU) to explain its decision to engage the services of a Bulgarian doctor without prior notification.
ISN Director-General Datuk Dr Ramlan Abdul Aziz said a letter had been sent to MAU, requesting the Union to explain its action.
"We do not want to accuse MAU because we do not know who was actually responsible for bringing the doctor into the country," he told Bernama during an exclusive interview Monday.
The issue of the Bulgarian doctor cropped up after 4x400m runner Yunus Lasaleh tested positive for an anabolic agent, methandienone metabolitem after winning the 4x400m gold medal at the SEA Games in Indonesia last November.
Yunus had claimed that he was given pills and injections by a Bulgarian doctor, Vasco Nedyalko, who was working for MAU during training camps in Miri and Brunei, ahead of the SEA Games.
The athlete claimed the pills and injections could explain his positive dope test which was revealed by the Indonesia SEA Games Organising Committee (INASOC) on Feb 14 after both the A and B Samples had tested positive.
Dr Ramlan said under the ISN 2011 Act, ISN's function was to prepare and provide scientific services, advise, counseling, sports science services and medical services related to sports.
"As such, any matters related to selection of doctors to assist in the preparation of athletes must be approved by ISN," he said.
He added that any medical practitioner must be registered with the Malaysian Medical Council in order to practice in Malaysia and the MMC would send a copy of the certificate to ISN.
"However, thus far ISN has not received any certificate from MMC with regard to the doctor from Bulgaria," he said.
Dr Ramlan said if MAU was found to have engaged the doctor without following the proper procedures, ISN can stop providing the free sports science and medical services provided to the MAU.
"But we will not retort to such action because it will hamper the progress of athletes. That is why we hope to find an amicable solution to resolve the matter," he said.
Meanwhile, National Sports Council's Athletes Division Director Ahmad Sapawi Ismail said the council was also not informed of the Bulgarian doctor's services.
"We (NSC) are not involved in engaging the services of a doctor from Bulgaria," he said.
-- BERNAMA
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