Doping scandal grows bigger: Ashwini, Priyanka test positive

The doping controversy that has hit Indian sports grew bigger on Monday with two more female athletes testing positive for an anabolic steroid. Ashwini Akkunji and Priyanka Panwar, who were part of the Asian Championships, tested positive. Akkunji won gold at the 2010 Commomwealth Games and 2010 Asian Games. The ‘A’ or the first samples of both athletes have tested positive. There will be further tests. For now, their names have been withdrawn from the Asian Championships contingent. [caption id=“attachment_36314” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Ashwini Akkunji (above) and Priyanka Panwar tested positive on Monday. David Gray/Reuters”]  [/caption] Last week, six athletes, including Commonwealth and Asian Games gold medallists Sini Jose and Mandeep Kaur, failed the dope tests conducted by National Anti-Doping Agency. Jose, top quarter-miler Jauna Murmu, another 400m runner Tiana Mary Thomas, long jumper Hari Krishnan and shot putter Sonia returned positive for anabolic steroids in their ‘A’ samples. The samples were taken by NADA during the June 11-14 National Inter-State Athletics meet in Bangalore. Jose and Kaur had won gold in women’s 4X400m relay race in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games last year. Jose, Jauna, Hari Krishnan and Sonia tested positive for metabolites of methandienone while Thomas had another anabolic steroid epimethandiol in her urine sample. Athletics Federation of India has provisionally suspended both the athletes pending a hearing by a NADA disciplinary panel. “It is sad to announce that two more athletes — Ashwini Akkunji and Priyanka Panwar — tested positive for anabolicsteroids. We have provisionally suspended them. Next, they will be called for ‘B’ sample tests and then the necessary procedure will be followed,” Dogra told reporters. Akkunji and Panwar were named in the 4x400m relay teamfor the Asian Championships and Dogra said two other athletes in the 37-member team will take their places. “We cannot send any replacement of the two athletes now but we will field a relay team in Japan. Two other athletes(besides Tintu Luka and Mrudula Korada) from the team will runin the relay,” he said. Both Akkunji and Priyanka tested positive for metabolites of methandienone, which were found in the samples of other CWG and Asian Games gold-winning relay quartet members MandeepKaur and Sini Jose as well another qaurter miler Jauna Murmu. Interestingly, Akkunji and Priyanka’s dope flunk came from the tests on 30 samples conducted by NADA for the Asian Championships bound athletes on the request of AFI. Ashwini was a member of the 400m relay quartet that won gold in the Commonwealth Games. She had returned with two gold in the Asian Games, winning in 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay. Panwar’s best international result was the bronze she won in the South Asian Federation Games in Dhaka last year. She had won a bronze in the 100m sprint in the National Games inRanchi in February. She made it to the relay team after finishing  fourth in the National Inter-state meet in Bangalore. With the dope  flunk of Akkunji, three members of theIndian 4x400m relay quartet that won gold in the Commonwealth and Asian Games last year have tested positive. Mandeep Kaur and Sini Jose had returned positive for theanabolic substances in the tests conducted by IAAF on May 25 and by NADA during the National Inter-state Meet in Bangalorethis month respectively. Only Manjeet Kaur remained out of the dope net. There had been speculation that Akkunji and Panwar could test positive as they shared the same vitamin supplements used by Mandeep and Sini. With inputs from PTI