The Hindu : 15 athletes stripped of medals

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 01, 2003

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15 athletes stripped of medals

New Delhi April 30. Twenty-one top athletes, including the fastest man and woman at last year's Hyderabad National Games, were today pronounced guilty of taking banned substances and now face a possible two-year ban.

The Anti-Doping Commission of the Indian Olympic Association announced here that Jagdish Basak and Kavita Pandya, winners of the men's and women's 100m sprints at the Hyderabad Games, along with 19 others had been guilty of doping.

The erring athletes, who include five gold medallists, six silver and four bronze medal winners, have been stripped of their medals and their performances erased from the Hyderabad Games, the Anti-Doping Commission chairman, Manmohan Singh, told reporters here.

Swimmer Amar Muralitharan, who also tested positive along with these 21, has been asked to undergo further tests and a decision on him has been deferred pending the results.

"It has been decided and recommended to the IOA executive committee that these athletes should be disqualified from the National Games competition. All medals, certificates and awards associated with their performance should be withdrawn," Mr. Singh said. "The IOA should ask respective sports federations to impose strict sanctions on the athletes immediately."

As per international anti-doping rules, the athletes are liable to get a two-year ban for violating the anti-doping code. — PTI

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