B-samples of swimmers, athletes also positive

NEW DELHI - The B-samples of two swimmers and two athletes, who were tested positive for banned substance methylhexanamine, have also returned positive.

Swimmers Richa Mishra and Jyotsna Pansari and shot-putter Saurabh Vij and discus thrower Akash Antil have now been issued a second notice by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). Amar Muralidharan was the third swimmer to be tested positive, but he is not part of the Commonwealth Games squad.

“The B samples of the two swimmers and two athletes have also tested positive. They will be given a date for hearing by the anti-doping disciplinary committee in a day or a two,” NADA director-general Rahul Bhatnagar told IANS.

The disciplinary committee will be headed by retired sessions judge Dinesh Dayal. The three-member panel will include an eminent sportsperson and eminent doctor.

The B-samples of six Indian wrestlers, also charged for the use of methylhexanamine, too, have tested positive.

NADA had asked for a quick hearing keeping in mind the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

Methylhexanamine, used as a nasal decongestant, was included in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) list of prohibitive drug this year.

Sumit (74kg), Mausam Khatri (96kg) and Arjuna awardee Rajiv Tomar (120kg) in the men’s freestyle and Gursharanpreet Kaur (72kg) in the women’s section were part of the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games wrestling squad. They stay suspended till the hearing.

Rahul Mann (60kg) and Joginder Singh (55 kg) were the other two wrestlers.

All these athletes have been provisionally suspended by their federations.

Meanwhile, weightlifter Sanamacha Chanu has also been tested positive for methyhexanamine, though the Indian Weightlifting Federation(IWLF) has not officially revealed the name. Under the doping rules, Chanu could face upto a life ban, this being her second offence. She tested positive in the 2004 Athens Olympics where she was stripped off her fourth place.