SEPTEMBER 9 - A PAKISTANI weightlifted Naveed Ahmed Butt today became the first competitor to fail a doping test at the Beijing Paralympic Games, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced.

 

 

Butt, 37, tested positive for methandienone metabolites, an anabolic steroid, and received a two-year ban, the IPC said in a statement.

 

The urine sample was taken on September 4 in Beijing, two days before the opening ceremony.

 

The statement said: "In accordance with the IPC anti-doping code, and after a hearing of the IPC anti-doping committee, the IPC ratified the decision to disqualify Butt from the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games."

 

 

Sir Philip Craven, the Preisdent of the IPC, had said at the weekend that he was hoping for a "totally clean" event following hard work by authorities to stamp out doping through extensive testing and education.

IPC medical and scientific director Peter Van de Vliet said that despite the disappointment of a positive test, the incident highlighted the committee's efforts to run a fair Games.

So far a total of 297 tests have been carried out at the Games, both in and out of competition.

At the Athens Games in 2004, 680 doping tests were conducted, resulting in 10 anti-doping rule violations.