Saudi Distance Runner Faces Provisional Suspension For Doping

Saudi Arabian distance runner, Mohammed Yousef Alasiri, has become the second athlete at the Asian Games to be involved in a doping case and has been provisionally suspended, according to official announcements. The 34-year-old athlete had a sample collected during out-of-competition testing on September 26 and subsequently did not participate in the men's 10,000 meters race four days later. Additionally, he was scheduled to compete in the 5,000 meters on the same day but has been withdrawn from the event. The International Testing Agency (ITA), responsible for conducting anti-doping testing at the Hangzhou Games, revealed that Alasiri tested positive for the banned substance darbepoetin, which is known to enhance endurance. In an official statement, the ITA declared, "The athlete has been informed of the case and has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect," adding, "He has the right to request the analysis of the B-sample." This development follows the earlier case of Afghan boxer Mohammad Khaibar Nooristani, who on September 28 became the first known doping case at the Asian Games and was also placed under provisional suspension. Nooristani, competing in the 71kg weight class, had tested positive for two banned substances, both anabolic steroids, as confirmed by the ITA.