Commonwealth Games gold medallist weightlifter Geeta Rani’s confirmatory ‘B’ sample test has also returned positive for a banned substance and she is set to end her career in ignominy as she faces the prospect of a lengthy ban.
Rani, who won a gold in 2006 CWG and three silver in the 2004 Asian Championships, had tested positive for a banned substance in her ‘A’ sample collected during the National Games (January 31-February 14) in Kerala, where she won a gold in women’s 75-plus kg category. She has already been provisionally suspended after her ‘A’ sample result and she will now have to face a NADA panel hearing. The NADA panel will decide her case and the quantum of sanction, if any, to be imposed on her. Under the new NADA/WADA Rules, a first time dope offender faces a maximum four-year ban.
“Geeta Rani’s ‘B’ sample has also returned positive for the same banned substance as in the ‘A’ sample. Now the NADA panels will decide her case and the quantum of sanction if at all to be handed on her,” Indian Weightlifting Federation Vice-president Sahdev Yadav said on Thursday.
“What aggravates Geeta’s case is that her ‘A’ sample taken during the All India Police Meet has also returned positive for a banned substance. Now, the NADA panels will decide whether the dope violation will be counted as her second dope offence or not,” he added.
If Rani returns positive in the ‘B’ sample taken during the All India Police Meet and the NADA panel rules it as second dope violation, she may be banned for upto eight years, virtually ending her weightlifting career. The federation has recently decided to ban coaches and suspend state units of dope offenders for stipulated years but Yadav said that in Rani’s case, it has been difficult to find out who is her mentor since she is not currently in the national camp. “Geeta is not in the national camp, so it’s difficult to find out who is her coach since she trains alone. We are not sure who was her coach during National Games,” he said.
CAS dismisses swimmer’s case
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday rapped on the knuckles of National Anti-Doping Agency for “excessive” delay in disposing a dope violation case of swimmer Amar Muralidharan while dismissing his appeal against the decisions of two NADA panels after he tested positive for a banned substance in 2010.
Muralidharan had appealed to the Switzerland-based CAS against the decisions of Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) and Anti-Doping Appeal Panel (ADAP) of the NADA after his test sample taken during National Aquatic Championships in Jaipur in August 2010 was found to contain prohibited substances.
Muralidharan’s appeal was dismissed by the CAS following the first ever hearing held at the CAS Alternative Hearing Centre in Abu Dhabi. The world’s highest sports tribunal said that NADA’s delays in handling Muralidharan’s case were excessive, but still held that they did not have a fundamental impact on his case.