WINNIPEG. Manitoba. Dec 11: Banned Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson has hired himself out to train members of the Libyan national soccer team, including the son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Johnsons agent said Friday, reports Reuters.

The deal to provide strength and power training to Al-Saad Gaddafi and his teammates in the next three months, is worth about $35,000 (US) to the cash-strapped Johnson, his agent Morris Chrobotek said from Toronto in a telephone interview.

Chrobotek said he believes the Libyan deal will lead to a new career for Johnson as a trainer.

"It's going to be state-of-the-art training as we did for Diego' Maradona." said Chrobotek. referring to Johnson's work with the Argentinean soccer player in his 1997 comeback.

The group going to Libya, which is preparing for preliminary rounds of the African Cup and World Cup which start next year, include soccer coach Armando Costa and massage therapist Yosuf Omar. Soccer coach Lalo Maradona and a nutritionist will Join Johnson in January.

Jhonson was stripped of his 1988 Olympic gold medal and 9.79 world record time when he tested positive for steroids in Seoul. He was banned for life af-

ter a 1993 test showed high testosterone levels.

The Jamaican-born Johnson. who turns 38 this month, lost his appeal last August to the IAAF to have his life-time ban lifted, dashing hopes of once again making a living on

the track.

In October Johnson again tested positive for a prohibited substance — an anti-hypertensive diuretic, banned because it can mask performance-enhancing drugs.

Johnson s lawyer Gary Boyd said Friday that his client had been prescribed the medication to treat high blood pressure, a Condition he had kept secret.

Boyd said that reports from three doctors who treated Johnson will be submitted to the Canadian Centre for Ethics In Sport on Monday In the hope an arbitrator will strike down this latest positive doping result.

Casey Wade, the CCES director of drug-free sport, said. "The system is designed to protect athletes to be allowed to use a medication If they need one legitimately.

"If there's an explanation and it's medically justified, like any other athlete. Ben will be treated fairly." Wade added.

Defending Johnson's decision to work In Libya which was under United Nations' sanctions until earlier this year. Chrobotek said: 'They won't allow (Ben) to compete they won’t allow him to make a living, to feed his family.... What is he to do?"

He added. "We're going there on a sports agenda, underlined."

Within the next few months. Chrobotek said he plans to establish an international training camp in the Caribbean with his team of trainers including Johnson.

"We have a few people who are willing to invest millions of dollars into this." said Chrobotek. adding that he planned to try to interest the governments of Barbados. St. Lucia. Martinique and St. Martin in Johnson's new venture.