Thailand says teams careful of doping rules after badminton player fails drug test

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept 22 - Thailand sports minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said the nation's athletes at the Asian Games are all aware and careful of doping rules following a failed drug test by one of the country's top badminton players.

Pitchamon Opatniputh became the first confirmed doping case at the Aichi-Nagoya Games on Monday after returning a positive test for furosemide, a substance that can be used to lose water for rapid weight loss.

The 19-year-old former world junior champion in women's singles took the out-of-competition test last Thursday and was subsequently banned from the Games.

Pitchamon can challenge the provisional suspension at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Surasak said the Thai delegation had requested analysis of the back-up B sample and that Pitchamon had told them the positive test may be related to an anti-inflammatory ointment.

"All athletes know that using drugs, they must be careful in the use of all drugs. Because if a substance that is not allowed is detected, it will impact the competition for sure," he told Thai media at the Games.

"We assure that all associations, national teams are aware and careful. It could be the case of an individual who was acting out of ignorance."

Pitchamon was entered in the women's team event in Nagoya.

Thailand's women, who won a team bronze at the Games in Hangzhou three years ago, lost their quarter-final 3-0 to China on Tuesday.