One of the national bodybuilders has withdrawn from the team to the South Pacific Bodybuilding Championships in New Caledonia.

Patricia Mallam sighted a discrepancy in the manner in which drug tests have been conducted as one of the reasons for her withdrawal.

Mallam says she withdrew from the national team last Friday sighting unprofessional conduct by the local committee as one of the reasons.

‘There are suspicions that a couple of members of the team have not complied with the drug tests and my issues with the management of that whole testing has been around the fact that Drug Free Fiji was not involved in it and this has not been known to FASANOC in the manner in which we have conducted the tests’.

But Fiji Bodybuilding Federation President Vilash Chand has refuted Mallam’s claims.

Chand says proper tests were done and the results are confidential.

“The Federation also took some necessary steps on our athletes, committee after reviewing the reports from laboratories has come to an agreement that they are satisfied with the reports and the athletes are cleared to participate in Fiji team and travel to New Caledonia’

Mallam claims the bodybuilders were not tested for performance-enhancing drugs which is another concern.

But Vilash Chand says the Oceania Regional Anti-Doping Organization or ORADO will be in New Caledonia conducting tests for the athletes as well.

A 10 member national team left the country yesterday for the South Pacific Bodybuilding Championship which starts in New Caledonia on Friday.