‘B’ samples of India’s Games hopefuls also positive

Seven Indian athletes selected for next month’s Commonwealth Games faced a lengthy ban after “B” samples of their failed dope tests also returned positive, officials said on Wednesday. Four wrestlers, a shot-putter and two swimmers who were all part of India’s Games squad tested positive for methylhexaneamine, a banned stimulant used widely as a nasal decongestant.

Four others, who were not picked for the October 3-14 Games in Delhi also failed drug tests conducted at the various training camps across the country.

“They will all now face a disciplinary panel and the punishment to be handed out to them will be decided by the panel,” India’s National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) chief Rahul Bhatnagar told reporters.

Those from the Games squad who tested positive were two female swimmers, Richa Mishra and Jyotsna Pansare; three male wrestlers, Rajiv Tomar, Sumit Kumar and Masuam Khatri; female wrestler Gursharanpreet Kaur, and male shot-putter Saurav Vij.

Officials said they were surprised that all of them tested positive for the same drug, which was included in the prohibited list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) earlier this year.

Federal Sports Minister Manohar Singh Gill called for strict punishment against the guilty. “We want to win medals at the Games, but we want to win them with honour,” Gill told reporters. “There is no place for doping in sport.” Doping has afflicted Indian sport over the last decade with weightlifters being the chief culprits.

The Indian weightlifting federation was fined 500,000 dollars by the world governing body after six lifters failed dope tests last year.

The federation managed to pay only 125,000 dollars and were forced to take an interest-free loan from Games organisers to pay the rest of the fine and ensure their participation in Delhi 2010.

NEW DELHI, Sept 8, 2010 (AFP)