Doping: Athletes to appear before panel on Aug 18

The NADA disciplinary panel asked seven athletes who were at the centre the doping scandal to appear before it on August 18.

New Delhi: The National Anti-Doping Agency disciplinary panel on Wednesday asked seven of the eight athletes who were at the centre the doping scandal to appear before it on August 18 after they did not turn up on the ground that the date of hearing was fixed too soon.

Only shot putter Sonia turned up before the Dinesh Dayal-headed panel on the day of first hearing on Wednesday. Quartermilers Ashwini Akkunji, Sini Jose, Priyanka Panwar, Mary Tiana Thomas, Mandeep Kaur and Jauna Murmu, all of whom tested positive for anabolic steroids, did not turn up. Their contention was that they were informed about the date of hearing only a few days ago. Sonia was given a hearing for just 10-15 minutes and she was told to appear again on August 18. NADA sources said that all the seven athletes were issued fresh notification to appear before the disciplinary panel on August 18. The eighth athlete involved in the doping scandal, long jumper Harikrishnan Muralidharan also did not turn up but the panel did not issue any directives in his case. PTI