Second Uzbek athlete fails doping test at Asian Games

An Uzbek wrestler has failed a doping test at the 16th Asian Games in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, the second athlete from his nation to do so, officials said Wednesday, DPA reported.

Jakhongir Muminov tested positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine in an out-of-competition test on November 19, Mani Jegathesan, the Olympic Council of Asia's (OCA) medical chief, told reporters.

"The athlete has been disqualified from these Games and his performance in the competition has been nullified," Jegathesan said.

Muminov, 23, competed in the men's 84-kilogram Greco-roman wrestling competition but did not win a medal.

The other reported positive drug test at the Asian Games was by Uzbek judoka Shokir Muminov, who was stripped of his silver medal last week after being caught for methylhexaneamine as well.

Jegathesan said the two Muminovs were not believed to be related and that the OCA had seen "no evidence to prove the systematic use of doping" by Uzbekistan.

"They are two separate doping cases," he said.

Games organizers had carried out 1,262 tests and reported the results of 1,090 tests by Tuesday, Jegathesan said.

Methylhexaneamine was added this year to the list of banned substances published by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and several athletes have already tested positive for it.

About 12,000 athletes from 45 teams are competing for 476 gold medals in 42 sports at the Guangzhou Games, which end Saturday.

Four weightlifters were disqualified for failing doping tests for other substances at the previous Asian Games in Doha in 2006.