Wilkins AFC needs to focus on player well-being
Ray Wilkins feels the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) needs to focus on player health after Ahmed Hayel's controversial doping test.
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Jordan coach Ray Wilkins has called for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to concentrate on player wellbeing following the furore over the treatment of Ahmed Hayel during his doping test.
The Jordan Football Association (JFA) claimed that midfielder Hayel contracted hypothermia after being forced to drink several litres of water in a cold anti-doping control room after their 1-0 loss to Iraq at the Asian Cup on Monday.
An official complaint to the AFC was filed by the JFA, who also alleged that an ambulance was not called and that Hayel did not receive any medical care despite the AFC doping officer noting his condition in his report.
However, the AFC has since responded, insisting that the test met the governing body's anti-doping regulations.
But Wilkins believes have improvements to make in how they handle doping test after games.
"I think the important thing, you must always put football in perspective," said Wilkins.
"But people are more important. He lost so much fluid the other night when he played and we were very, very concerned as to his well-being. He is now OK.
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"The great thing about when you have these situations with doping, you don't only lose water [playing], you lose salts, you lose electrolytes and we must replace them after the game.
"As soon as they leave the pitch they have to go to doping, I can't come in and speak to them. They're down, they're depressed. We lost the game against Iraq but I can't speak to these guys because you take them off for doping."
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