Five Pak athletes test positive for performance-enhancing steroid

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan sports was rocked by another doping scandal as two female and three male athletes tested positive.

The authorities conducted 20 dope tests at the 34th National Games in Quetta in May and sent the samples to laboratories in Qatar.

'The News' has learned that all the five athletes tested positive for the use of Anabolic Androgenic steroid that is commonly used by athletes through injections. The athletes are Ehsha Rehman (100m), Rabia Ashiq (800 meters), Uzair Rehman (400m), Naeem Akhtar (100m sprint) and Mohammad Tahir (96kg category weightlifter).

Esha is a triple gold medalist at the 34th National Games as she sprinted to top position in 100m, 200m and 400m. Rabia won two gold medals -- in 800m and 4X400m relay. Uzair won the gold medal in 400m while Naeem Akhtar was 100m sprint champion at the National Games.

Esha was stopped from competing in the Asian Meet in Thailand last evening after authorities came to know that the athlete has tested positive. The Anabolic Androgenic steroid is the same performance enhancing steroid that Ben Johnson used to break Carl Lewis world record clocking 9.81s for hundred meters.

For AFP this is nothing new as following Alfajara International meet positive case, three of their top athletes tested positive during the 13th South Asian Games held in Nepal. Mehboob Ali (400m hurdles) and Mohammad Naeem (110m hurdles) and Samiullah (100m sprint) tested positive of Anabolic Androgenic Steroids during the Games held in Nepal in December 2019. The drug was aimed at rapid improvement in performance.

National Olympic Committee Nepal with the consent of World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) later imposed a four-year ban on three Pakistan athletes who tested positive for banned drugs besides stripping off medals. Later the authorities demanded the return of medals which were returned.

For the weightlifting federation, Tahir’s case is yet another setback following Talha Tahib and others recent positive cases.

“It is really unfortunate that five of the twenty athletes tested positive for using performance enhancing drugs. We came to know about this unfortunate event only in the early morning," an official said. "We are in the process of taking stock of the situation and will do all we can to discourage others from getting involved in such practice. But this is something related more to the athlete and his respective department and federation to discourage such practice," the official added.