Malaysian badminton ace's B sample to be tested

KUALA LUMPUR - The B sample of a Malaysian top badminton player, whose A sample has been tested positive for dexamethasone, will be tested on Nov?4 or Nov 5, Malaysian English-language newspaper The Star on Saturday quoted Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin as saying.

Khairy said the international federation had given the national association the two dates to choose from to open the B sample, which would be decided by the athlete.

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"The international federation concerned has given Nov 4 and Nov 5 as the dates for the opening of the B sample. At this moment, the athlete has not made a decision," he said.

The report said that once the date is finalized, the athlete will be arranged to fly to Oslo, Norway, to witness the opening of the B sample.

Khairy confirmed on Monday that an athlete from the country had tested positive for a banned substance. But he declined to reveal the name. Although the name of the athlete has not been revealed by any official statement, local media pointed fingers at world number one shuttler Lee Chong Wei.

According to The Star, it is learnt that the urine sample of Lee Chong Wei has been found to have traces of the banned substance dexamethasone during a test done after the semi-finals of the World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The minister said he has been in touch with the athlete, adding that "the athlete is anxious, but that is expected."

He said they are going through the athlete's recent medical history to see how the substance could be present.

Another Malaysian English-language newspaper New Straits Times said that Lee Chong Wei is believed to have not taken any medication or performance-enhancing drug during the World Championships.

However, he received a treatment at a medical center in Kuala Lumpur before the sport event, during which he was injected with stem cells for a muscle injury, the report said, adding that in its infancy stage, the stem cells technology could very well be linked to the matter.