Twelve days before the start of the 29th Olympiad in Beijing, China, the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) has confirmed that a member of its team tested positive for a banned substance at the June 27-29 National Track and Field Championships.

"All I can tell you is yes, there was a positive one," JOA president Mike Fennell admitted to the Observer yesterday.

Fennell declined to name the athlete as he was yet to receive written confirmation he requested from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), after a verbal confirmation. He said, however, that the athlete was not one of the country's big names.

Fennell said that confirmation from the Monaco-based IAAF, athletics' world governing body, was expected today, given the time difference between both jurisdictions.

According to the IAAF rule, once an athlete's 'A' sample is returned positive the national association is advised and the athlete has two weeks from that time to apply for his/her 'B' sample to be tested.

If that 'B' sample is returned positive, the athlete usually gets a two-year ban.

Yesterday, Fennell expressed disappointment that someone representing Jamaica went the route of cheating.

"I am extremely disappointed and not just (because of) our image, but given our objective and philosophy," (of competing clean) he said.

In recent months, fingers have been pointed at Jamaica, intimating that enough has not been done here to c****at doping.

A July 8 BBC article quoted Dr Adrian Lorde, head of the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO), voicing concerns about the number of testing done in Jamaica, which is not a member of RADO.

"I would like to think they do that testing there, but I really don't know. I don't know what level of certification their doping control officers have. We really don't know what is going on in Jamaica," Dr Lorde said.

"I am concerned they don't have the programme in place they should have based on the amount of success they have," he added. There has been talk about a national anti-doping organisation in Jamaica for many years, but it is not functioning yet, as far as we can tell. I don't have any worries there are athletes in Jamaica who are cheating, but you only know if it's tested."

However, Fennell, who recently indicated that 96 tests (six out of competition) have been carried out on Jamaican athletes locally since the start of the year, said the fact that a positive test has been returned indicates that our system is working.

Last month's positive test is the second such case to have been caught by Jamaican authorities in the last four years. Sprinter Steve Mullings, who won the 200 metres at the 2004 Olympic trials, was banned for two years after testing positive for testosterone.

Other Jamaicans to have tested positive for using banned substances include sprinters Merlene Ottey (Nandrolone), Dwayne Jarrett and shot putter Dorian Scott (Marijuana), and long/triple jumper Suzette Lee (Salbutamol - used for the treatment of asthma, chronic bronchitis and other breathing disorders).

Ottey escaped being banned as her 'B' sample returned negative; while Scott and Lee received public warnings.