Olympics hopes fade as more test positive

India’s 2012 Olympics hopes could be on the backburner as runner Ashwini Akkunji’s B samples too tested positive for banned substances.

Zeenews Bureau

Bangalore: India’s 2012 Olympics hopes could be on the backburner as runner Ashwini Akunji’s B samples too tested positive for banned substances. Akunji and Priyanka Pawar face upto two years ban after their B samples turned the tide against them. Earlier on Friday, the ‘B’ samples of three tainted athletes turned positive for the presence of banned substances. Runners Sini Jose, Juana Murmu and Tiana Mary Thomas tested positive for their ‘B’ sample too India`s top eight athletes, including three members of the Commonwealth Games and Asiad gold medal winning sprinters, had tested positive for anabolic steroids in out-of-competition testing. Meanwhile, coming down heavily on the recent expose on the rampant doping in Indian sports, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) on Monday conducted raids at the Sports Authority of India centre, Bangalore, after similar searches were earlier carried out in NIS Patiala. There were four officials of NADA conducting the raid at the SAI Bangalore facility to get more clues on the extent of damage the sports body had done to the Indian athletes.Earlier, chief medical officer of SAI and renowned sports medicine expert Dr PSM Chandran had said that the trend of doping exists at Bangalore centre and Army Sports Institute, Pune also. "Only NIS Patiala get focused but reality is that the trend of doping exists at Banglore and even SAI Pune. This is not new as far as Indian sports are concerned and AFI is very well aware of this," he said.