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Indian athlete flunks dope test, name withheld |
| NEW DELHI: An Indian athlete has flunked the
dope test for steroid Nandrolone but the disgraced
competitor's name has been withheld by the Commonwealth Games
Federation as per the anti-doping code, Federation president
Michael Fennell said on Thursday. |
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"We have received another positive result. The notice
has been issued to the (Indian) chef de mission (Bhubaneshwar
Kalita) at 9 am today. But the athlete has not been
informed and we expect the chef de mission to report
back to us early this afternoon," Fennell told the
customary morning press conference.
"We are not declaring the name now. As per the
anti-doping practice, we can only publicise the name
after the athlete receives the notification. We have no
confirmation that the athlete has received the notice.
"I am not able to give you the name now, but can only
tell that it is in athletics and the country is India.
The substance was Nandrolone, a steroid," Fennell said.
"We (CGF) met late last night and served the notice to
the chef de mission (Kalita) at 9 am," the CGF chief
said.
OC secretary-general Lalit Bhanot described the positive
dope test returned by an Indian athlete as "unfortunate"
and said this shame has happened despite everyone's best
effort to avoid it.
"It's unfortunate. We tried our level best. Not just the
federations, but NADA (National Anti Doping Agency) and
government authorities are very serious about this
issue. We have done out of competition as well
in-competitions tests," he said.
"It's a difficult situation. It's unfortunate. We are
hosts, we took precautions. But it has happened
unfortunately," Bhanot added.
This is the third doping scandal to hit the Games after
Nigerian athletes women's 100m gold medallist Osayemi
Oludamola and 110m hurdler Samuel Okon tested positive
for stimulant Methylhexaneamine.
Oludamola has since then been stripped of the gold while
Okon finished outside the medal bracket.
Asked whether the Indian caught in the dope scandal was
a medal winner, Fennell said he cannot answer the
question.
On the three doping cases that have rocked the tail end
of the Games, Fennell said that everyone would concede
that 3 positive dope tests out of 1300 tests is not a
bad record.
"Two of them concluded not in serious area of doping
activity which is a stimulant. This new case has not
been heard and I can't comment. We would like to have a
zero factor but we (also would have to live with
reality," he said.
Fennell said further that coaches and athletes, in
particular, need to be educated about what to take and
what not to take in their food.
"It demonstrates that we all administrators need to
increase educational activities, in particular coaches
and athletes. What is required is how they can be
prevented".
Asked whether Nigerian sprinter Osayemi had claimed she
had taken the stimulant unknowingly, Fennell said she
did not make any specific claims but expressed extreme
regret.
"No, she didn't make any specific claim except for
expressing extreme regret. She also said about her
desire to clean up although she did say she was unaware
of the substance," the CGF president said.
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