A drug testing laboratory in Qatar has been banned from carrying out its work for four months by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).
Wada said it was suspending the Doha laboratory’s accreditation until it improved standards.
It is the seventh of 34 Wada-accredited labs to lose its status this year.
“The decision to suspend the laboratory is a direct result of the more stringent quality assessment procedures,” Wada said
It added it wanted to “ensure laboratories maintain the highest standards” so that that “athletes can have full confidence”.
The suspension, which took effect on 7 November, prohibits the Doping Analysis Laboratory from carrying out any anti-doping activities including all analyses of urine and blood samples.
The laboratory can appeal against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 21 days.
In June, Rio’s anti-doping laboratory was suspended by Wada just six weeks before the Brazilian city hosted the Olympic Games, though it has since been restored. And in November 2015 the Moscow Anti-doping Centre was suspended amid allegations of doping. It has since had its accreditation revoked
