Three Pak athletes face bans over doping

ISLAMABAD: Three Pakistani athletes face lengthy ban as the news from Qatar and Nepal Olympic committees on Sunday evening confirmed that their B samples have also been positive, which means performance-enhancing drugs were used knowingly or unknowingly.

Gold medal winners Mehboob Ali (400m hurdles) and Mohammad Naeem (110m hurdles) and bronze medallist Samiullah (100m) tested positive at the 13th South Asian Games for performing-enhancing drugs last month.

The athletes contested the result. The Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) decided to go for testing of B samples after submitting around $1,800 with a WADA-recognised laboratory in Qatar as tests cost. After three weeks of wait, the result was dispatched on Sunday, confirming the earlier results.

As a result, Pakistan will lose six athletics medals. Pakistan athletics contingent at the Games won 13 medals: five gold, two silver and six bronze. The performance-enhancing drug scandal will deprive Pakistan of two gold and four bronze medals. All the three athletes were part of the relay teams that won bronze. However, technically all medals won before the tests conducted on athletes will stay with athletes.

Thus the new standing on the table will see Pakistan winning seven medals in aggregate while minnows Nepal have eight. Sri Lanka bagged 15 gold medals and India 12. Pakistan’s gold medal tally will be reduced to three.

“Yes, we have received a communique from the 13th SA Games committee that three of Pakistan athletes were again declared positive after testing of B samples. The WADA is expected to make announcement in a few days,” a source within the AFP said.

He added that it was unclear whether the AFP would be filing an appeal against the Nepal Olympic Committee or accept the verdict and form an inquiry committee to penalise the athletes.

“We will hold a meeting in a few days to decide whether to penalise these athletes or to file an appeal with the Nepal Olympic Committee,” he added.

Interestingly, only two months back the Ministry for Inter-Provincial Coordination gave away Rs7.5 million to those who won medals at the South Asian Games.