Asia's first drug test for golfers prompted by Olympics
Testing may start next year and would be a prerequisite to qualifying for 2016 Games
Asian golfers will face drug tests for the first time in the run-up to the 2016 Olympics but officials played down the likelihood of a major problem despite serious scandals in other sports.
As the Asian Tour, the region's biggest circuit, heads into its 10th season, executive chairman Kyi Hla Han said testing was yet to be introduced, but could start next year in tune with demands from the International Olympic Committee.
"If the players are going to qualify for the Olympics they're going to have to go through testing," he said. The Asian Tour's rival golf circuit, OneAsia, also does not test players.
But Kyi Hla Han and other high-level officials remain sceptical that players would resort to performance-enhancing drugs in golf, despite increases in the sport's athleticism and the prize money at stake. "It's hard to tell from a golf point of view what drugs are performance-enhancing or not," he said.
"I think as the governing bodies we're not sure whether they're performance-enhancing or not ... but I think we're all in agreement that we will comply with the enforcement regulations."
He added: "I don't really see how they can purposely try to enhance their performance. Golf is not like other sports [where you need] speed and recovery. It's difficult to judge, but all the players will have to follow the rules."