BANGKOK North Korea came under investigation at the Asian Games on Wednesday after rival teams accused them of entering under-age girls in the gymnastics. A games gymnastics official said there had been complaints that some members of the North Korean women's artistic gymnastics team appeared to be as young as 11, well below the minimum age limit of 16. We want to resolve this issue as soon as possible.

I will be contacting the North Korean NOC (National Olympic Committee) today, Amnat Ano, an official of the games Technical Committee responsible for the investigation, told Reuters. Suebsai Boonveerabut, vice-president of the Thai Gymnastics Association, said: We have asked the Technical Committee to double-check the passports of the North Korean gymnasts. She added that they had only submitted copies of the passports for accreditation.

In gymnastics' heyday in the 1970s, there were no age limits imposed on competitors. The enchanting Romanian Nadia Comaneci was only 14 when she scored seven perfect 10s and won three gold medals at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. But tales of young children taken from their parents and developing eating disorders as a result of harsh training regimes in the Eastern Bloc forced gymnastics chiefs to introduce age limits.

The limit for artistic gymnastics was raised from 15 to 16 after the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Because of three years of flood and drought, North Korea is currently facing its worst food crisis and aid agencies say millions of children face starvation although its sports training regime is likely to enjoy special status. The agencies have reported the physical development of many North Koreans, particularly the young, have been stunted by the hardship.

Suebsai said the team, which missed the 1994 games because of the death of state founder Kim Il Sung, would be asked to produce the girls' passports. Rival team officials have complained that some members of the North Korean artistic gymnastics team, two of whom are only about four-and-a-half feet tall, appeared pre-pubescent and looked as young as 11. In games lists submitted by the North Korean National Committee, three of the gymnasts from the artistic gymnastics team are listed as 16, one as 17, one as 18, and one as 20. It the case is proved against North Korea, it would not be the first time they had fallen foul of the age-limit rule.

North Korea were banned from the 1993 World Gymnastics Championships when it was found that one of its champions had been registered with three different birthdates in three different tournaments. Suebsai said: The North Korean team is not used to competing in major international competitions. This was clear after yesterday, when they competed in the wrong order. After the competition, officials approached the girls and asked them their age.

Sixteen," the girls said confidently." The North Korean girls came fifth of the six teams in Tuesday's team event, which was won by China. South Korea pulled its gym team out of the Asian Games last month after four of its gymnasts failed drug tests. One Thai sports official, who did not want to be named, said he doubted whether anything could be proved against the North Korean team without a real probe inside the isolationist East Asian state.

Even if they do produce their passports, the North Korean government can easily make up these documents. If we really want to find out their age we have to go back to their country and ask their mothers, he said. (Reuter)