Another scam, another news making, smashing headline that stops the people from clapping ever so loud and compels them to raise an eyebrow. Scandal is becoming the nickname for almost all feats, in all fields of India today.

Indian athletes fail dope test

The star Indian Athletes: Mandeep Kaur and Juana Murmu, who placed India on the top of the winner’s stand by winning gold and bronze medals respectively at the Commonwealth and Asian Games 4×400 relay, have tested positive for the dope test, making the nation sigh out with setback.

The failing of the test has led them to suspension as well as a two-year ban. The test was taken by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and the results of the ‘B’ sample that came out on Wednesday resulted to the suspension with immediate effect.

Both the athletes say that they unknowingly bought food supplements from a store outside the National Sports Institute. They said that their coach was well aware which supplements they were taking at the time. The AFI however wasn’t notified nor was any doctors’ advice taken.

The athletes also said that winning medals internationally was impossible without having taken food supplements however they were not aware that they contained the banned substances: steroids, methandienone and stanozolol.

The athletes say that they went out in the market and got the vitamin supplements being unaware that they contained banned substances. “We ourselves can’t become doctors”, they said. The AFI however has been supportive to the girls and has demanded that the samples be tested as to prove what the athletes claim.

The winning team at the Commonwealth Games consisted of Mandeep Kaur, Ashwini Chidananda Akkunji, Sini Jose and Manjeet Kaur. Sini Jose, who also tested positive for methandienone, was not present at the hearing. The athletes will have to reappear on July 15 for the main hearing which will be headed by Dr. Arun Mendiratta.

This scam has led the NADA, National Anti Doping Agency to proclaim that the measures to be taken from now on will be stricter. They won’t be tentative to foray into the houses of the suspected athletes, if they had to. They will also increase the number of samples from hereon.

After the Commonwealth Games black money scam, now follows the Commonwealth Games Dope scam. Perhaps it’s time for another fast to break out in the country, since only that seems to give the best warning.

Tags: AFI, Athletics, India, Indian Athletes, Juana Murmu, Mandeep Kaur, NADA, National Anti Doping Agency