Drug scandal hits Lanka's sports again

It's pity that a drug scandal has hit Sri Lanka sports once more. Leading woman sprinter Jani Chathurangani Silva is among the nine competitors who have been tested positive at dope tests conducted during the 10th South Asian Games in Sri Lanka.

The results of the SAG doping comes just a couple of weeks after the conclusion of the eight-nation Games after more than 200 samples were tested at an WADA ratified laboratory in Malaysia. Though the early reports mentioned the name of an Indian double gold medallist in track events, it is now clear that only Sri Lankan woman sprinter and Nepalese men's 3,000 steeple chase gold medallists have been tested positive at track and field competition.

It has been proved at scientific laboratory testing that Silva's 'A' urine sample contained a high percentage of an anabolic steroid - Nandralone, than the normal permitted levels. The Sports Ministry has already banned her from next week's National Sports Festival, which will be the final trial to pick the Sri Lanka athletic team for the 15th Asian Games in Doha in December.

Silva won the women's 100m silver medal clocking 11.76 seconds behind compatriot Susanthika Jayasinghe, who bagged the gold in 11.33 seconds. Incidentally, Jayasinghe is the only Lankan woman athlete to be tested positive before.

Incidentally, it was the identical banned substance to which Jayasinghe was tested positive twice before her 2000 Sydney Olympic glory.

However, Jayasinghe was fortunate enough to be exonerated on both occasions. On the first occasion she was caught, it was the scientific evidence given by Dr. A.R.L. Wijesekera that led to the clearance of the most celebrated woman sprinter in Sri Lanka sports. It was proved that a drug taken by Jayasinghe to delay her periods contained similar compounds found in Nandralone 19, which is a banned anabolic steroid.

It is likely that Silva too would challenge on similar lines, even if her 'B' urine sample too indicates a similar response. Silva has been tight-lipped ever since the positive dope test result came to the limelight last week. Even when Silva was asked to appear before the AASL special panel on Monday, she did not utter a word.

However, the Colombo SA Games women's 100m silver medallist and 4 x 100m gold medallist was due to break her silence when she came before a special local arbitration panel yesterday. But her personal coach, Dervin Perera, who was also the President of the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka, disclosed that his student athlete has indicated that she took a pain killer for a knee injury and another pill to delay her periods.

But medical reports had indicated that Silva has not declared those two drugs when she was tested for performance enhancing drugs after her 100m and 4 x 100m finals. Indications are that both her samples have been tested positive. Interestingly, Perera was Jayasinghe's coach when she was tested positive in late 90s.

We do not know who is right and who is wrong. Answers to all those questions would be found after a proper IAAF arbitration hearing. Perhaps, Silva would be cleared if her 'B' urine sample tests negative, as in the case of Olympic triple gold medallist Marion Jones.

Jones, whose 'A' urine sample at US nationals last June proved positive, was cleared early this month after a completely different 'B' sample negative testing. Who knows whether Jani Chathurangani Silva could enjoy the same joy?

Then we heard a shameless and unreasonable statement by former sprint merchant Michael Johnson that Marion Jones must retire now. Johnson, the world record holder in men's 200m and 400m and Jones' former US teammate, is a legend. There is no doubt about that.

But the silly remarks that he has made in a newspaper article in London is not fitting for a legend like him. In this column last week, we disclosed what a swollen-headed man he is. Having lost to our little man Sugath Tillakaratne at the heats of Atlanta Olympics ten years back, the Lankan sprinter made a humble request for a photo pose with Johnson, who flatly refused abusing the Lankan with a four-letter word.

Johnson should be careful what he talks, if not he will have to eat his own words in the near future. He has no right to make baseless allegations against Jones or demand that ever-smiling American sprint queen to hang her spikes up. Who is Johnson to demand a premature retirement of Jones? Shame! Man, it's not what we expect from a man of your calibre, performance-wise.

Going back to the high-drama at the South Asian Games doping, two Pakistani boxers too are in the net. More importantly, the two boxers are amongst the many Pakistani boxers who were fortunate to benefit from apparently biased and highly controversial decisions by the 'patriotic' judges from their motherland.

Both Pakistani boxers were tested for banned steroids at the last 2004 South Asian Games in Islamabad. But one was served with a reduced one-year ban while the other escaped with only a warning. Perhaps the punishments were too light; they have continued the bad habit and have once again been caught for the same offence.

It will be interesting to see whether the world amateur boxing body is going to act in the same manner. Discipline should come first, irrespective of the country.

The judges and officials should have the guts and backbones to stand firm and take decisions in the best interest of sport, rather than trying to impress their world body officials with a patriotic decision to secure their positions.

Meanwhile, the latest news from the world of cricket is that dope testing would be done at next month's ICC Champions trophy tournament in India. The ICC, in association with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has decided to go in for dope test of all players taking part in the Mini World Cup.

Random urine samples could be taken from any participating player. Arrangements for collecting urine samples of the players at random have been made with Fortis Hospital in Mohali and the sample would be taken to Malaysia for testing at the same WADA ratified laboratory which tested the urine samples of Colombo SA Games competitors. It's good to see the ICC intensifying its campaign against doping.