16 athletes fail dope test in National Games

Cyclist Amrit Singh, who won three gold medals at the 35th National Games in Kerala, is among the 16 athletes caught in the dope net from the January 31-February 14 event.

Sources confirmed that out of the 16 dope positives, nine were for steroids including from pending cases, where ‘results management’ procedures are yet to be completed. Four were stimulants and two glucocorticosteroids.

Punjab cyclist Amrit, who won gold in team sprint, keirin race and 1km time trial, tested positive for oxilofrine, a specified stimulant. Another cyclist Amit Kumar has been tested positive for another stimulant, methylhexaneamine.

Rajasthan’s Vinisha Joshi, who got the wushu silver in the women’s sanshou (52kg and below category) has turned in positive for steroid stanozolol. Her ‘B’ sample result is awaited.

Manipuri rower Bimola Dev, who finished sixth in the coxless pairs event, has been found positive for another steroid, nandrolone.

Hockey player Yudhvir Singh was found to have ingested mephentermine, a non-specified stimulant, while Maharashtra woman weightlifter Komal Narayan Wakale, who won silver in the +75kg, was found to have methandienone, a steroid, in her urine sample.

Others caught for violating anti-doping rules were weightlifters Geeta Rani (Punjab), gold medallist in  the +75kg class, who has tested positive for steroid methandienone, and silver winner in the 75kg division, Mangte Parneichong Kom of Manipur , who was found positive for steroid nandrolone.

Another woman lifter Harjeet Kaur, a silver medallist in 58kg, turned in positive for specified stimulant strychnine.

Punjab hammer thrower Rachna KM, who won silver, tested positive for steroid metenolone while UP freestyle woman wrestler Gargi Yadav, silver medallist in 60kg, was found to have  bethamethasone, prednisolone and prednisone, all glucocorticosteroids, in her sample.

Also to be among the list of dope-offenders was 400m hurdler bronze winner Binu Aquito of Tamil Nadu. He has tested positive for betamethasone, a glucocorticosteroid.