BANGALORE: In a major embarrassment for the country ahead of the Commonwealth Games, eight Indian sportspersons, including five who were selected for the event, have tested positive for a banned substance.
Heading the list of the tainted is Olympian wrestler Rajiv Tomar, who was being seen as a bright prospect for a Commonwealth gold medal and had received the Arjuna Award barely five days ago.
Among the dope offenders, six are wrestlers and two athletes. Of them, four wrestlers and Sourabh Vij of Delhi had been named in the national squads for the Games.
The drug they tested positive for was methylhexaneamine, a stimulant in the non-specified category, banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2010. Intended to be a nasal decongestant, it is being marketed as a dietary supplement and a party pill.
Days earlier, another CWG probable, netball player Megha Chaudhary, tested positive for steroids. The wrestlers' urine samples were collected by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) officials during the selection trials at Sonepat last month.
Tomar, who won the gold in the 120kg category in the Commonwealth championship in Jalandhar in December 2009 before following it up with another gold at an international meet in Madrid in July, was seen as a "sure shot" medal prospect at the Commonwealth Games next month. Now, he may be forced to watch the action from the sidelines, having been slapped with a provisional suspension pending a 'B' sample test and inquiry by the anti-doping disciplinary panel.
Shotputter Sourabh Vij tested positive for the drug at the inter-state athletics meet in Patiala last month, as did discus thrower Akash Antil of Haryana. "They are provisionally suspended with immediate effect pending inquiry," Ravinder Chaudhry, officiating secretary of Athletics Federation of India, said.
Wrestling has been the worst affected by the NADA crackdown in which eight Indian sportspersons have tested positive for a banned substance, methylhexaneamine.
Besides gold medal hope Rajiv Tomar, three others headed for the Games - Sumit (74kg) and Mausam Khatri (96kg) and Gursharanpreet Kaur (women's 72kg) - tested positive. The other two grapplers who failed the dope test are Rahul Mann (60kg) and Joginder Kumar (120kg), gold and silver medallists, respectively, at the Commonwealth Championships last year. Joginder, along with Mausam, had been selected for the senior World Wrestling Championships to be held in Moscow from October 6 to 12.
The positive tests have emerged only in the freestyle category. All Greco-Roman wrestlers tested negative. In fact, in the freestyle category, Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar (66kg), Anil Kumar (55kg), Yogeshwar Dutt (55kg) and Anuj Kumar (84kg), who are part of the squad, also emerged clean.
The orders for provisional suspension, issued on Wednesday, forced the Wrestling Federation of India to name replacements for the Commonwealth Games. They include Narsingh Pancham Yadav (74kg), Anil Mann (96kg) and Praveen (120kg) as well as Anshu Tomar (72kg; women).
When contacted, NADA director general Rahul Bhatnagar confirmed the positive tests. "It is unfortunate, but we are bound by WADA rules and have to take stringent action. We have issued the provisional suspensions as per WADA rules."
WFI president G S Mander said he was "surprised and shocked" by the positive dope tests. "Our wrestlers are clean and have been undergoing periodic dope tests. This is thoroughly disappointing," he told TOI.
Asked whether the wrestlers would opt for a 'B' sample test, he said: "The law will take its course. It all depends on the wrestlers whether they want a 'B' sample test in a different laboratory. But we would like to get to the bottom of this affair."
Mander was not willing to comment on whether contaminated dietary supplements could have led to the positive dope tests. "I am no expert. SAI deals with that, and we are confident the wrestlers were being provided with the best stuff. However, from what I hear, this drug is available over the counter."
TOI
Heading the list of the tainted is Olympian wrestler Rajiv Tomar, who was being seen as a bright prospect for a Commonwealth gold medal and had received the Arjuna Award barely five days ago.
Among the dope offenders, six are wrestlers and two athletes. Of them, four wrestlers and Sourabh Vij of Delhi had been named in the national squads for the Games.
The drug they tested positive for was methylhexaneamine, a stimulant in the non-specified category, banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2010. Intended to be a nasal decongestant, it is being marketed as a dietary supplement and a party pill.
Days earlier, another CWG probable, netball player Megha Chaudhary, tested positive for steroids. The wrestlers' urine samples were collected by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) officials during the selection trials at Sonepat last month.
Tomar, who won the gold in the 120kg category in the Commonwealth championship in Jalandhar in December 2009 before following it up with another gold at an international meet in Madrid in July, was seen as a "sure shot" medal prospect at the Commonwealth Games next month. Now, he may be forced to watch the action from the sidelines, having been slapped with a provisional suspension pending a 'B' sample test and inquiry by the anti-doping disciplinary panel.
Shotputter Sourabh Vij tested positive for the drug at the inter-state athletics meet in Patiala last month, as did discus thrower Akash Antil of Haryana. "They are provisionally suspended with immediate effect pending inquiry," Ravinder Chaudhry, officiating secretary of Athletics Federation of India, said.
Wrestling has been the worst affected by the NADA crackdown in which eight Indian sportspersons have tested positive for a banned substance, methylhexaneamine.
Besides gold medal hope Rajiv Tomar, three others headed for the Games - Sumit (74kg) and Mausam Khatri (96kg) and Gursharanpreet Kaur (women's 72kg) - tested positive. The other two grapplers who failed the dope test are Rahul Mann (60kg) and Joginder Kumar (120kg), gold and silver medallists, respectively, at the Commonwealth Championships last year. Joginder, along with Mausam, had been selected for the senior World Wrestling Championships to be held in Moscow from October 6 to 12.
The positive tests have emerged only in the freestyle category. All Greco-Roman wrestlers tested negative. In fact, in the freestyle category, Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar (66kg), Anil Kumar (55kg), Yogeshwar Dutt (55kg) and Anuj Kumar (84kg), who are part of the squad, also emerged clean.
The orders for provisional suspension, issued on Wednesday, forced the Wrestling Federation of India to name replacements for the Commonwealth Games. They include Narsingh Pancham Yadav (74kg), Anil Mann (96kg) and Praveen (120kg) as well as Anshu Tomar (72kg; women).
When contacted, NADA director general Rahul Bhatnagar confirmed the positive tests. "It is unfortunate, but we are bound by WADA rules and have to take stringent action. We have issued the provisional suspensions as per WADA rules."
WFI president G S Mander said he was "surprised and shocked" by the positive dope tests. "Our wrestlers are clean and have been undergoing periodic dope tests. This is thoroughly disappointing," he told TOI.
Asked whether the wrestlers would opt for a 'B' sample test, he said: "The law will take its course. It all depends on the wrestlers whether they want a 'B' sample test in a different laboratory. But we would like to get to the bottom of this affair."
Mander was not willing to comment on whether contaminated dietary supplements could have led to the positive dope tests. "I am no expert. SAI deals with that, and we are confident the wrestlers were being provided with the best stuff. However, from what I hear, this drug is available over the counter."
TOI
No comments:
Post a Comment