Jani proved..... Guilty .... and now my terms begun

Dinesh Weerawansa

DOPING: Controversial woman sprinter Jani Chathurangani Silva has been found guilty of taking performance enhancing drugs during the 10th South Asian Games in Colombo last August.

The five-member committee, headed by Prof. Ravindra Fernando, announced its verdict at a news conference at the National Sports Medicine Institute auditorium yesterday. The committee has unanimously decided that Silva has committed a doping rule violation by taking a prohibited substance, namely Nandralone - an anabolic steroid.

However, the local track and field governing body - the AASL, said the IAAF, has asked them to conduct their own investigation.

Prof. Fernando said the urine samples of Silva, taken during the eight-nation Games in Colombo, contained an excessive volume of a banned anabolic steroid.

"The committee has decided that she has committed a doping rule violation in view of the adverse analytical findings reported by the accredited laboratory in Malaysia. Her 19 Norandrosterone (19NA) was 27.5 ng/ml on August 25 urine sample and 14.0 ng/ml on August 26 urine sample. The maximum permitted volume is just 2 ng/ml," he explained.

He said the laboratory findings have clearly indicated that the woman sprinter has not taken therapeutic drugs that could contribute to increase the 19 Norandrosterone levels in her urine.

"She has not declared taking any therapeutic medication except 'creatine extreme' in her doping control form,"

Prof. Fernando said the five-member committee chaired by him, has carefully considered all the medical and other contributory factors particularly to the athlete that would lead to an adverse analytical finding. The committee, in its report said that Silva could not explain the high 19NA levels.

Though a report from Dr. A.R.L. Wijesekera was produced by the woman sprinter in her defence, Dr. Wijesekera has not given evidence at the inquiry.

The medical and doping committee findings would now be referred to the Disciplinary Committee to decide on the action that could be recommended against the athlete.

The local arbitration panel, which carried out the initial investigation included Dr. Geethanjana Mendis, Dr. Dudley Perera, Dr. Seewali Jayawickrema, Dr. Shiromi Pilapitiya, Sri Lanka team's chef de mission Sunil Jayaweera and Elmo Perera, representing the NOC. The matter was then referred to the Prof. Ravindra Fernando Committee.

Silva, whose 'A' urine sample taken at the 10th South Asian Games was tested positive for performance enhancing drugs, did not opt for a testing of a 'B' sample testing. However, she continued to maintain her stand being innocent.

"I have not committed any offence. I gave evidence before the committee to prove my innocence. I will do the same before the disciplinary committee (DC)," Jani Chathurangani said yesterday.

Silva has already been ruled out from December's 15th Asian Games in Doha. The AASL has banned Silva from taking part in any local or international competition until the current controversy ends.

It will be the DC of the AASL that would communicate with the WADA, the world anti doping body.

But if the WADA ratify the local findings to the IAAF, Silva is likely to face a two-year ban.

Under such a circumstances, she would lose both the women's 4 x 100m relay gold medal and 100m silver medal she won at last month's South Asian Games. But the doping controversy is likely to take a new turn as the AASL maintained its stand that the investigation should be handled by them.

AASL President Dervin Perera, who is also the personal coach of the controversial woman sprinter, said the world governing has asked them to conduct the local investigation. "They have asked us to make our own inquiry but the medical committee has not given us any documents of the investigation or medical reports.

Even if they submit the new findings, we should get it through to the WADA and the IAAF," Perera said.