Lee Chong Wei innocent of drug taking, says Hong Kong expert
HK sports medicine expert believes Malaysian star used dexamethasone to only treat an injury
A sports medicine expert believes world number one Lee Chong Wei is innocent of drug taking and hopes the Malaysian is treated leniently when he learns of his fate on Wednesday.
A dope test during the world championships in August tested positive for the banned substance dexamethasone and Lee's B sample will be opened in Oslo on Tuesday evening. Lee and his wife, Wong Mew Choo, also a former Malaysia team player, arrived in the Norwegian capital to witness the process, according to reports from Kuala Lumpur.
Dexamethasone is very common in medical treatment and it is not banned during out-of-competition period
If the 32-year-old is found guilty, Lee will face a two-year suspension in accordance with Badminton World Federation rules.
But Dr Patrick Yung Shu-hang, executive director of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Sports Medicine and Health Sciences Centre, said using dexamethasone to enhance a badminton player's performance would have minimal impact and he had great sympathy for Lee.
"My personal opinion is that Lee is innocent," said Yung, who is also a consultant in the Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology of Prince Wales Hospital.
"Dexamethasone is a kind of corticosteroids used therapeutically to treat inflammations, asthma and arthritis and it is different from anabolic steroids which are synthetic substances for promoting the growth of skeletal muscle for the purpose of enhancing sporting performance," Yung said.
"Dexamethasone is very common in medical treatment and it is not banned during out-of-competition period. Indeed, there has long been debate on whether this substance should be removed from the doping list.