Malaysia sepak takraw team vows drugs-free for Asian Games

Malaysian sepak takraw team are determined to avoid a repeat of four years ago when three players tested positive for morphine at the Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea.

"It was an embarrassment to be involved in drugs," national coach Jamaluddin Hassan was quoted as saying in The Star newspaper on Wednesday.

"However, we have done random tests on the 21 players who are in training. None has been found to be involved in drugs.

"We will conduct two or three more dope tests in the next 57 days to make sure they are clean and not taking any banned substances."

The 15th Asian Games take place in Doha, Qatar from December 1-15.

Sepak takraw is similar to volleyball except the three-player teams kick a rattan ball over the net, providing non-stop action with athletes often performing spectacular overhead shots to win points.

In August, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak urged Malaysia to become the global centre for the sport -- in the same way Korea is recognised as the home of taekwondo.

Source: Xinhua