KUALA LUMPUR - Badminton's world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei likely failed a drug test during August's World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, according to Malaysian media.

Malaysian daily The Star reported yesterday that the 32-year-old Malaysian is the "top athlete" who has been implicated.

It was reported earlier yesterday that an athlete had failed a drug test, but the name would be withheld pending the results of a "B" sample. The athlete was among those randomly picked up for a doping test and had been notified of the failed doping test on Oct 1, and had requested for the "B" sample to be tested 16 days later, a day before the deadline to request for the test.

An official from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) confirmed to the New Straits Times on Monday that a top shuttler has failed a random doping test. Reports said the top male player had won a string of tournaments, played at the Asian Games in Incheon and also contributed medals.

The official said the player's doping test showed traces of a low-level drug banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.