PCF bans Shakil, Waqas over doping

KARACHI: Mohammad Shakil and Waqas Mehboob were on Tuesday banned by the Pakistan Cycling Federation (PCF) for having tested positive for a prohibited substance during the 64th National Track Cycling Championship held at Lahore in December last year.

The PCF had disclosed the result of the tests in March and because the riders did not challenge the results the federation imposed contrasting bans on them.Waqas was banned for four years while Shakil was banned for eight years as he had also tested positive during the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.

Both Faisalabad-born cyclists, who are employed by Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and have represented Pakistan, had used 19-Norandrosterone (19NA) at a concentration greater than 15 na/ml androaenic anabolic steroid.

Syed Azhar Ali Shah, a senior PCF official, said that it was the only federation which had been conducting regular dope tests by utilising its own resources.He said that the federation had sent samples of nine riders. “Every step was taken under rules and we will continue to eradicate the menace from the sport by conducting such tests in future as well,” Shah said.Both cyclists have been stripped of all their individual results, medals, points and prizes.