Turkish weightlifters out of Mediterranean Games due to doping

Eight Turkish weightlifters are out of the Mediterranean Games for failing doping tests at a training camp.

The lifters face bans from six months to two years for testing positive for the unidentified banned substances, Xinhua reported quoting Turkish TRT Television Station Saturday.

Turkish Weightlifting Federation head Tamer Taspinar said three of the eight were expected to win a medal in what is Turkey’s strongest discipline at the games.

The doping cases are a setback for Turkey, which is hoping to use the Mediterranean Games to show it has the capabilities to host the 2020 Olympics and win the bid ahead of Tokyo (Japan) and Madrid (Spain).