Malaysia's SEA Games gold medalist Ng Yan Yee faces 8-month suspension for doping

Ng Yan Yee allegedly used sibutramine during 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games

Malaysia's Yan Yee Ng
Malaysia's Yan Yee Ng Reuters

Fédération internationale de natation or International Swimming Federation (FINA) has suspended Ng Yan Yee, a Malaysian women's diving athlete for eight-months for doping.

The 24-year-old national athlete is a three-time gold medal winner of Southeast Asian Games and bagged two silvers in 2010 and 2014 Asian Games. She also participated in 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. Yan Yee achieved fifth place in 3-metre springboard preliminary round at Rio Olympics and in the finals she managed to grab a 10th position on foreign soil.

She tested positive for sibutramine in October 2017, which is common in slimming products but also enlisted as a banned substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

According to reports, during 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games, the diver allegedly took the substance and participated in the tournament. The SEA Games Federation (SEAGF) is in the process of retrieving her gold medal, that she achieved in the women's individual 3m springboard event.

The secretary of Association Swimming of Malaysia (ASUM), Mae Chen, said the diver will serve her ban from Aug 26, 2017, until the urine sample is taken again on April 26, 2018.

According to Malay Mail Online, Chen said that she has received the e-mail on Friday night, Mach 2 from FINA, which stated that Yan Yee will serve an "eight-month suspension following her doping case and therefore, she will not be in the list for the 2018 Commonwealth Games."

She also said that Yan Yee will not be allowed to train with the national diving squad on April 15, in preparation for the 2018 Asian Games, which will take place in Indonesia from Aug 185 to Sept 2.

Chen said, "I was informed earlier that the flag handing ceremony would take place on the Aug 26 in the morning before our team departs for the Gold Coast at night."

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