In a statement posted on their website, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) revealed how under 62 kilogram lifter Sardar Hasanov had tested positive for anabolic steroid dehydrochlormethyltestosterone after he failed to finish his competition in the Chinese capital.

Turkey's under 48 kilograms silver medallist Sibel Özkan and Armenia's under 69kg bronze medallist Tigran Martirosyan have also been named.

Hasanov's failure follows cases involving Intigam Zairov and reigning world champion Boyanka Kostova.

Once these cases are formally ratified by the international Olympic Committee (IOC), they will join Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia in being suspended due to having produced three re-testing faiilures.

Bulgaria have already been suspended after suffering 11 failures within a calendar year.

In reality, the Azerbaijan decision matters little because the country had already forfeited two quota places due to six failures within the two-year qualification window.

They had only qualified two lifters, meaning they were already barred from sending anyone.

Azerbaijan had already vowed to appeal this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The WADA declaration, meanwhile, followed a meeting between WADA and Azerbaijani officials last week at which concerns were addressed.

Some assurances were given, WADA said afterwards, but a "whole range of recommendations from previous reports have still not been acted upon".

Concerns have also been raised by the International Rowing Federation after they discovered that the Azerbaijan Rowing and Canoe Federation had carried out just two tests during the whole of 2015.

Azeri officals claimed they did not have the funds to carry out testing because their budget had been taken up by hosting the inaugural European Games in Baku last year.

"At its meeting with AZADA [Azerbaijan Anti-Doping Agency] officials last week, WADA received a more detailed update on the development of Azerbaijan’s anti-doping activities," a WADA spokesperson told insidethegames.

"Whilst Azerbaijan provided some assurances that it is taking steps to improve its domestic anti-doping programme, we remain concerned at the slow pace at which matters are developing. 

"WADA has received AZADA’s anti-doping rules for review, and we also understand that the country is moving forward in advancing its anti-doping legislation.

"However, a whole range of recommendations from previous reports have not yet been acted upon. 

"If we continue to note a lack of progress, this will become a matter for WADA’s independent compliance process. 

"At a time when athletes are more than ever seeking assurance that they are competing on a level playing field, it is vital that a country with the sporting ambitions of Azerbaijan can demonstrate that effective safeguards are in place to protect the rights of clean athletes and uphold the integrity of sport."

Non-compliance verdicts are usually decided upon at WADA Foundation Board meetings, with the next one scheduled to be held on November 20 in Glasgow.

Kenya and Russia currently have non-compliant testing programmes, and are consequently undergoing special additional testing ahead of Rio 2016.

Azerbaijan won two gold, two silver and six bronze medals at London 2012, before finishing second on the medals table at Baku 2015 with 21 gold, 15 silver and 20 bronze.

A total of 18 Azeri lifters failed tests for anabolic steroids in 2013, including London 2012 bronze medallist Valentin Hristov, followed by a further six cases in 2015.

Multiple cases have also been produced in wrestling, with Beijing 2008 and London 2012 freestyle medallist Mariya Stadnik having served a one-year ban in 2006, the year she switched nationality from Ukraine.

Turhan Gurbanov, 20, was handed a four-year ban in March for refusing a drug test during last year's European Championships.

Azerbaijan's Ethiopian-born 3,000 metres steeplechase runner Chaltu Beji was also disqualified from Baku 2015 for taking banned substance osterine.

The excuse that they have no budget due to hosting the European Games, as claimed by an Azerbaijan Rowing and Canoe Federation official, has also been viewed sceptically given the vast wealth of the nation, which hosted a Formula One Grand Prix last month.

A first meeting was held last month of a Parliamentary Committee on Youth and Sports tasked to prepare a new Bill on "combating the use of doping agents and methods in sports".

Member of Parliament Fuad Muradov admitted that, like all countries, Azerbaijan faces challenges from performance-enhancing drugs, and must improve its legal frameworks to better combat the problem.

insidethegames has contacted the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan Ministry of Sport for a reaction, but is yet to receive responses.

"Our athletes fully understand the responsibility of fair competition," Azerbaijan Rowing and Canoe Federation technical director Leyla Aliyeva told insidethegames.

"They are ready to go through whatever tests necessary, as soon as it is required and when proper funding is provided to the Federations.

"Please be informed that every year they already passed at list one doping test done by WADA at the international competitions and never no one had a positive result."