Patiala, July 6
There could be more trouble brewing for the Indian sporting fraternity with even the second string of Indian athletes and sportspersons struggling with dope issues, with as many as 13 more India-level players having failed their A Sample tests undertaken by the National Anti-Doping Agency. These athletes are under the scanner of the Medical and Anti-Doping Commission of Indian Olympic Association and NADA and have been put in front of the NADA-appointed Dinesh Dayal Panel.

These 13 had tested positive during the National Games in Jharkhand in February and their cases will be up for hearing. The IOA's Medical and Anti-Doping Commission Chairman, Dr. Manmohan Singh, confirmed that these players were booked for positive tests. “We had supervised the raids along with NADA and many athletes were found to be positive,” Dr. Singh told The Tribune.

“Their final reports and B Sample tests are awaited. This takes a more serious turn if one considers that of the 13, a minimum of nine were gold medalists and we had decided to test all the winners,” Dr. Singh said. A senior IOA official told The Tribune that two or three of these 13 athletes could get the benefit of doubt due to some technical reason, but the rest might have tough time ahead as their B samples were also positive.

Nine of the athletes had tested positive for the stimulant methylhexaneamine, which is found in cooking oil and has resulted in the doping of many international athletes. Sources inside NADA confirmed that once this stimulant is found in the body of a player and the tests are positive, he or she could be banned for up to two years or be let off with a warning. “The chances of letting them off with a warning are minimal, given the seriousness with which the entire country and the Sports Ministry is scrutinising everything,” he added.

Prominent among those named are Core Group boxers Dilbag Singh and Praveen and prominent 400m hurdler Kuldev Singh, who had a career-best timing of 50.31 seconds in Ranchi, while at the Commonwealth Games in October, Kuldev had finished in 1.28 seconds more than his Ranchi time.

Another name doing the rounds is of javelin thrower Vipin Kasana, allegedly found to be using Stanozolol, a banned steroid. “We have sent these names to a committee that would hear the sportspersons individually and establish if the dope attempts were deliberate or not,” NADA Director-General Rahul Bhatanagar said. “If any of these players can prove that they consumed any medicine by mistake or were forcibly given the same, they may escape. Otherwise the panel will surely recommend the maximum penalty.” Office-bearers of various sports federations have told The Tribune that till these athletes clear their names, they would not be summoned for the national camps or train with the others.

Dilbag Singh (boxing)
Praveen (boxing)
Kuldev Singh (hurdling)
Vipin Kasana (javelin thrower)
Rinku Sangwan (discus)
Bikram Duha (cycling)
Rinku (wrestling)
Danni Switens (equestrian)
Rohit Dagar (equestrian)
Narinder Singh (rowing)
Anil Kumar (rowing)
Jitender Kumar (taekwondo)
Arjun Singh (basketball)