SINGAPORE, Nov 22: Drugs have tainted sport this year and how countries fare at the Asian Games will be closely monitored by the World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Olympic Committee.

It is the last major multi-sport event before the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and as Olympic host and prior offender, China will be in the spotlight.

But so will countries like India, Iran and Pakistan whose names have been tarnished by doping scandals this year.

China's international sporting reputation was severely damaged in the 1990s following several high-profile drug cases, particularly in swimming and running events, and it has never fully recovered.

It took another hit this year when one of its best athletes, world 5,000m bronze medallist Sun Yingjie, was banned for two years for failing a dope test at China's National Games.

And in September four athletes, whose names were not revealed but who compete in weightlifting and wrestling, were caught taking performance-enhacing drugs at a provincial meeting.

It prompted World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound to warn China it must step up the number of drug tests imposed on athletes and put an end to any “funny business” that may occur in out-of-competition testing.—AFP