Kuo tested positive
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kuo Hong-chih (郭泓志) tested positive for stimulants before joining Taiwan's team at the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar three months ago, but either cold or pain medications were to blame, a sports official said yesterday.
Kevin Chen (陳國儀), secretary general of Taiwan's Olympic Committee, said samples taken from Kuo, as well as two other members of the baseball team, Yeh Chun-chang (葉君璋) and Lin Yi-chuan (林益全), tested positive for banned drugs before the December Doha competition.
The three players explained that they had taken either cold or pain medications containing a banned substance, Chen said.
All three competed at Doha but received verbal warnings and were asked to clear their medications with the team doctor, Chen said.
"The situation is quite innocent," Chen said in a telephone interview.
Taiwan beat Japan 8-7 in the baseball gold medal game at Doha.
Kuo did not pitch in the final, and Taiwan's manager said at the time he didn't feel well.
The murky circumstances of Kuo's absence prompted an investigation by the newspaper China Times, which reported Kuo's positive test yesterday.
The China Times said Kuo didn't pitch against Japan because he had taken pain medication and that his pitching wasn't in good shape.
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