India’s hopefuls return positive ‘B’ sample

Indian athletes selected for the Commonwealth Games faced a lengthy ban after ‘B’ samples of dope tests were positive.

NEW DELHI: Seven Indian athletes selected for the Commonwealth Games faced a lengthy ban after ‘B’ samples of their failed dope tests also returned positive.

Four wrestlers, a shot-putter and two swimmers who were all part of India’s squad tested positive for methylhexaneamine, a banned stimulant used widely as a nasal decongestant. Four others, who were not picked for the Games also failed drug tests.

“They will now face a disciplinary panel and the punishment will be decided by the panel,” said India’s National Anti-Doping Agency Chief Rahul Bhatnagar.

Those tested positive include swimmers Richa Mishra and Jyotsna Pansare, wrestlers Rajiv Tomar, Sumit Kumar, Masuam Khatri and Gursharanpreet Kaur, and shot-putter Saurav Vij.

Officials expressed their surprise that all of them tested positive for the same drug, which was included in the prohibited list of the World Anti-Doping Agency earlier this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, September  9^th, 2010.