Banned athletes to appeal against NADA panel decision

New Delhi: The 11 athletes who were handed two year ban by a NADA panel for flunking dope tests, including Asian Games bronze medallist wrestler Mausam Khatri, are expected to appeal against the decision.

The athletes said that they will contest against the decision because the two year ban period was too long as they have also suffered for more than two years during the pendency of the case. Wrestlers Rajeev Tomar, Joginder Singh, Sumit Sehrawat, Rahul Maan, Gursharanpreet Kaur and Mausam Khatri, two track and field athletes Saurabh Vij and Akash Antil and swimmers, Amar Muralidharan, Jyotsana Pansare and Richa Mishra tested positive for stimulant methylhexaneamine in the run-up to 2010 Commonwealth Games. Their sample tests were conducted in August 2010 during various championships and selection trails held at Jaipur, Patiala and Sonipat. "We were expecting a warning or a suspension of six months at the maximum or something like that as it has been more than two years since the case began in September 2010. We had suffered during this period," wrestler Rajeev Tomar told PTI. "We will definitely appeal against the decision. We will have a discussion among ourselves and decide on the course of action," said the Arjuna Award winner, who represented India in the Beijing Olympics. Among the 11 athletes, the worst hit would be Khatri who could be stripped of his 2010 Asian Games bronze medal as the the National Anti-Doping Disciplinary panel had ordered that all their results obtained from the date of sample collection be disqualified "with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of medals, points and prizes". The athletes were allowed to compete at the national and international events as the MHA was shifted to the category of specified substances in September 2010 and swimmer Richa Mishra had had won 16 medals in the 2011 National Games in Ranchi and five gold medals in National Swimming Championships in Pune last month. Richa`s father said that his daughter will definitely appeal against the decision of the NADDP (National Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel) headed by retired district judge Dinesh Dayal. "The panel has given its decision and I can`t comment on that. But we have the right to appeal. So my daughter is going to appeal to the National Anti-Doping Appeal Panel," V K Mishra said. PTI