[1]More than 24 months after 11 sportspersons were caught using banned substances ahead of the 2010 Commonweath Games, a National Anti-Doping disciplinary panel on Monday handed two-year suspensions to each one of them here.
The athletes thus banned were swimmers Richa Mishra, Jyotsna Pansara, Amar Muralidharan; wrestlers Mausam Khatri, Rajeev Tomar, Rahul Mann, Sumeet, Joginder Singh and Gursharanpreet Kaur; shotputter Saurabh Vij and discus thrower Akash Antil.
All the 11 had tested positive for the stimulant methlyhexaneamine during various in-competitons ahead of the CWG.
While the suspensions start from the date of the decision (Monday), the most striking part of the verdict was the application of Article 10.8, used for the first time in the country.
The Article says, “disqualification of all other competitive results obtained by the athlete from the date of sample collection, with all resulting consequences including forfeiture of medals, points and prizes”.
This means that India will lose out on the bronze medal clinched by Khatri at the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010, while national champion Richa will have to forfeit her 16 medals including the 11 golds won at the Ranchi National Games. Vij will give up his national gold medal.
All the 11 were handed seperate orders, though the arguments were similar to some extent. Earlier during hearings, the wrestlers pleaded that the positive test was due to use of ayurvedic massage oil, Jyotsna said it was due to intake of supplements and vitamins for asthma.
Muralidharan had come out with the explanation that he went for “aroma therapy where he had massage with geranium oil.”
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