Staff working in the lab at the China Anti-Doping Agency, which will handle all drug tests for the Asian Games.

Medals and outstanding performances will be China's primary aim at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, but a clean doping record is also of the utmost importance to Chinese authorities. To ensure the Chinese athletes have a clean home games, all members of the team will receive strict anti-doping training, examinations and drug tests before entering the Asian Games Village next week, a senior anti-doping official has revealed.

For the first time, a comprehensive and approved anti-doping access system has been applied for the games, which open in Guangzhou on Nov 12.

"For the Guangzhou Asian Games, China will send its largest-ever delegation and one of the priorities for the squad is to be clean at the games," said Zhao Jian, deputy director general of the China Anti-doping Agency (CHINADA).

"Starting in September, experts from CHINADA went to give lectures and supervise the examinations of athletes at all the training bases across the country. Athletes could only qualify for the Asian Games if they passed the paper examination and the drug tests," Zhao said.

The access system requires all athletes training for the Asian Games to attend anti-doping lectures and pass a written examination.

An access system manual was also given to China team members. They had to write down what they learned from the lectures and keep records of doping tests and medicine taken in a personal manual. They also had to sign a letter of commitment in the manual, along with their coaches and team leaders.

"This is the first time we have applied such a well-planned access system before such a big event," Zhao told China Daily. "No one can escape such tests."

Besides education and exams, all of the athletes will be tested for drugs without prior notification.

"We have conducted drug tests here for all the athletes that will compete in Guangzhou. For those who are competing abroad right now, they will receive their tests as soon as they come back," said Zhao.

"All the athletes have to be proved clean before moving into the Asian Games Village. Athletes and coaches who have dirty records in doping tests will have no chance to represent China in Guangzhou."

Up to now, Zhao's agency has conducted more than 10,000 doping tests on Chinese athletes this year, but some top athletes have still tested positive on the international stage.

In May, Chinese judoka Tong Wen, the champion in the women's over 78kg class at the Beijing Olympics, was suspended for two years for a positive test for clenbuterol, which can boost muscles, like an anabolic steroid.

Then, Li Fuyu, the nation's most prominent professional road cyclist and a Radioshack teammate of US legend Lance Armstrong, was confirmed as having failed a test for the same substance in August.

Both of them claimed to be innocent, complaining about tainted pork they ate.

Zhao said dubious food should not be an excuse for testing positive and all athletes should be very disciplined about what they ingest.

"Professional athletes should pay extreme attention to their food and drinks it is their responsibility," said Zhao.

"I don't think they can blame tainted food. If the food is a problem, why did others who ate it not fail? It's very easy for the athletes to lose themselves in the face of the wealth and glory they gain by winning. It's difficult for athletes to find the balance between competing fairly and chasing the rewards. We still have a long way to go in the education of athletes. I hope the efforts we make for the Asian Games will benefit them in the future."

The participants in non-Olympic sports also provide a challenge for Zhao's anti-doping team.

Some athletes for those non-Olympic sports, such as bowling and dragon boat racing, have been selected from sectors of the community not familiar with doping rules and procedures.

"For those athletes who are not used to doping control, we have suggested their teams get together and start the education process from early," Zhao said.

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