BHUBANESWAR 29-Jun-2011 375
India`s two leading woman athletes — Mandeep Singh (Punjab) and Juana Murmu (Orissa) — were provisionally suspended by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) today after they tested positive for banned substances. The action came after urine samples of the two middle-distance runners, collected by International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) during an out-of-competition surprise test at Patiala, showed traces of anabolic steroids.
Twenty-three-year-old Mandeep’s stunning runs on the home stretch of the women’s 4x400 m relay saw India win golds at the Guangzhou Asiad and the Commonwealth Games in Delhi last year. Juana, 20, has been in India’s core group of promising young middle distance runners, and had narrowly missed bronze in the 400m race at Guangzhou.
AFI director Manohar Lal Dogra said Mandeep’s urine sample had adverse analytical findings for epimethandiol, metabolites of methandienone and stanozolol. Juana’s had epimethandiol and metabolites of methandienone. “They will not be part of any national team or camp,” Dogra said.
Experts say the presence of several banned substance in one sample often suggests a major offence. “The fact that an athlete has tested positive for three anabolic steriods indicates that systematic doping has been going on,” one of the experts observed.
However, this being the first offence for both, it is possible that they might be handed punishment ranging from a warning to a two-year ban.
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PHOTO: File photo of Jauna Murmu.
