Anti-doping tests will be introduced at all national junior sports events from next year in an effort to curb increasing use of banned substances among young people, a senior official told a national conference in Hefei, Anhui Province yesterday.

Wang Baoliang, from the Chinese General Administration of Sport, said doping cases are now found not only among professional juniors but also amateurs, and throughout athletics, bodybuilding and team events.

"More and more school students use drugs in order to score points in the college entrance examinations," he said, referring to the physical element of exams that all college hopefuls have to take unless exempted for medical reasons.

"It is a very dangerous tendency and we must take the issue seriously," he added.

A Beijing Sport University survey of 4,500 middle school and college students in 14 cities found a percentage of positive cases higher than that among professional athletes.

"Whoever uses banned drugs will receive due punishment," said Wang, "But we will put more emphasis on letting young students know the harm of taking drugs."

He also announced that the World Anti-Doping Agency would send an inspection team headed by its chief Dick Pound to the 10th National Games of China, due to be held in the eastern province of Jiangsu in October.

"The 10th National Games will see the largest number of dope tests ever," said Wang, and human growth hormone will be tested for for the first time. A total of 1,325 tests were carried out during the 9th Games.

(Xinhua News Agency July 14, 2005)