Three more Vietnam athletes fail doping tests at SEA Games 31

The Vietnam Anti-Doping Agency on Wednesday informed authorities in the sporting field about the new three cases: one male and two females. With the new doping cases, there are now five Vietnamese athletes who tested positive for banned substances at SEA Games 31.

All five belonged to Vietnam’s athletics team. According to a VnExpress source, two people were gold medalists.

Their identities are expected to be announced by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The five athletes would have a second doping test, whose samples would be taken at a laboratory in Thailand in November.

The athletes said they did not intend to deliberately use stimulants, but they probably consumed the substances through their diets or antibiotics.

The names of athletes suspected of doping have been removed from a list to receive investments for ASIAD 2023 and the Summer Olympics 2024. They may also have their SEA Games gold medals revoked and face long-term sporting bans.

Vietnam has recorded 19 cases of doping since SEA Games 2003.

The 31st SEA Games took place in Hanoi and the neighboring provinces from May 12 to 23, 2021 with 40 sports, 526 events and over 10,000 athletes, officials and referees from 11 Southeast Asian countries. Vietnam participated with 1,341 members, including 956 athletes, who won 205 gold medals, 125 silver medals, 116 bronze medals and ranked first overall.