New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS) The National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) Friday said it will request the anti-doping disciplinary panel to expedite the trial of Indian athletes, who have tested positive in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games, once the outcome of their ‘B’ samples are known by Saturday evening.
NADA director-general Rahul Bhatnagar also said they have asked Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) officials and shot putter Saurav Vij to get the B-samples tested Saturday.
Six wrestlers and two athletes were tested positive in random testing conducted by the NADA during the trials in Patiala and provisionally suspended by their federations. Four wrestlers, including Rajiv Tomar, who won the Arjuna Award, and Vij were part of the Commonwealth Games squad and were dropped by their federations.
‘We have called the wrestling federation officials to come for the B-sample test tomorrow at 10’clock. We have also called Saurav Vij for his B-sample testing,’ Bhatnagar, who is also joint secretary in Sports Ministry, told IANS.
‘Their test should come by Saturday evening. Also, we have requested the anti-doping disciplinary panel, headed by a retired sessions’ judge that those players whose B samples also come positive, should have an expedited hearing for a quick decision keeping in mind the upcoming Commonwealth Games.’
The dope test results of some of the events like cycling, swimming and boxing are yet to come and Bhatnagar said they should be available in a day or a two.
Wrestlers Sumit (74kg), Mausam Khatri (96kg) and Rajiv Tomar (120kg) in men’s freestyle and Gursharanpreet Kaur (72kg) in women’s section were part of the Commonwealth Games squad and have been replaced.
The two athletes, who returned positive in the dope test conducted by NADA during the trials at Patiala from Aug 5-8, are Vij and discus thrower Akash Antil.
‘We are very surprised that so many players tested positive. It is an unfortunate incident,’ Bhatnagar said.
