Sprinter Jani Chathurangani cleared

DC makes controversial decision:

Dinesh Weerawansa

DOPING: South Asian Games gold medallist Jani Chathurangani Silva has been cleared from all charges after she was found guilty of taking performance enhancing drugs during last year's 10th South Asian Games in Colombo.

The Disciplinary Committee (DC) of the SA Games, Wijayadasa Rajapaksa delivered the controversial ruling at a news conference held at the National Sports Medicine Institute last evening.

Despite the Medical Inquiry Committee (MIC) ruling which found Silva guilty of taking a banned anabolic steroid Nandralone, Rajapaksa's DC cleared the 26-year-old woman sprinter of all charges.

Reasoning out the DC decision to free the South Asian Games double gold medallist, Rajapaksa, a Member of the Parliament and a President's Counsel, said they have found that the medical investigation has not been conducted properly.

Hence the 'chain of custody' of the urine sample of Silva has not taken place properly, the Disciplinary Committee has decided to exonerate the sprinter.

Sprinter Jani Chathurangani Silva, who missed last month's 15th South Asian Games in Doha as a result of the local arbitration, said she always thought the truth would emerge victorious. "From the beginning, I have told that I am the innocent party. I have not taken any drugs. Today, the God blessed me to prove my innocence," she said.

Asked about the previous decision of the Medical Committee, which stated that Silva's 'A' urine sample contained a high percentage of Nandralone and that such a percentage could only go to blood by injection form, Rajapaksa said Silva's lawyers raised two issues. He said Silva has challenged the result of medical investigation as well as the way it had taken place.

While rejecting the first point, the DC has found that the medical investigation had not been conducted properly. As a result, the members of the Disciplinary Committee have unanimously decided to clear Silva with immediate effect.

The 'A' urine samples of Silva, taken after women's 100m and 4 x 100m relay at the eight-nation Games, were not tested last September. However, she turned down the opportunity she had to go for a 'B' sample test, denying all allegations.

Born on August 21, 1981, Jani Chathurangani Chandra Silva is a product of Senanayaka Madya Maha Vidyalaya, Madampe. During her school career, she played netball and volleyball and has been running ever since she was ten years old.

Silva is only the second Sri Lanka athlete to be tested positive for drugs. Compatriot Susanthika Jayasinghe was twice tested positive for the identical anabolic steroid but was cleared by the IAAF on both occasions on medical evidence after arbitration.

Silva won the silver medal in women's 200m and was also a member of the gold medal winning women's 4 x 100m relay team.

After testing over 200 urine samples taken during the 10th South Asian Games, four competitors, including Silva were tested positive. The Medical Committee imposed bans on two Pakistani boxers and a Nepali athlete.

A scientific laboratory testing in Malaysia have found that Silva's urine sample taken on August 25, 2006 contained anabolic steroid 19 Norandrosterone (19NA) 27.5 ng/ml level. The comparative reading was 14.05 ng/ml in her second urine sample taken on the following day - August 26, 2006. The tolerance level given by the world anti-doping body WADA is only 2ng/ml.

There was a running battle between the Athletic Associating of Sri Lanka (AASL) and the National Sports Medicine Institute on the authority of conducting the local investigation.

The Director General of Sports Medicine, Dr. Geethanjana Mendis was noncommittal on the controversial ruling of the Disciplinary Committee.

However, the sports medicine expert said that he would file his own report on the matter and the findings to the world body WADA.