Pak athletes used ‘anabolic androgenic steroids’

KARACHI: Pakistani athletes who failed dope tests during the 13th South Asian Games in Nepal last year used “anabolic androgenic steroids” which provide strength to the body, ‘The News’ has learnt.

Olympian Mehboob Ali, 110metre hurdler Mohammad Naeem and sprinter Samiullah failed dope tests which were conducted during the Nepal SAG last year. “It’s not a medicine but a booster which gives strength to the body. It is not usually prescribed and is available everywhere,” a source told this correspondent. The trio requested for their B samples test. They returned positive as well.

As per WADA rules they may face maximum four years ban and minimum two years. A disciplinary committee will decide the matter after hearing the athletes in persons or their lawyers. But the issue is who will form the committee as Anti-Doping Body of the SAG and Nepal’s NOC seem very lazy on this issue.

The tests had been conducted last year in December. Their results were received about six months later. Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) or Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) would constitute the committee if asked by the doping committee of 13th SAG. Nepal cannot do this as athletes are in Pakistan and they cannot be heard by Nepal.

It has been learnt from experts that the committee will ask the athletes whether they had any written prescription and whether they had informed the relevant federation or the anti-doping body.

If any athlete has a written prescription he can escape a ban and may be reprimanded only. But if there is nothing in written form and the athletes have used the substance without consulting relevant bodies then they will face huge penalty.

NOC Nepal has informed the relevant bodies in Pakistan about the positive results of the B samples of the athletes. When this correspondent contacted Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) on Monday, it refused to divulge the information regarding the B samples results.

“POA may have received the information. They will forward that to us,” an AFP source told ‘The News’. Mehboob (400metre hurdle) and Naeem claimed gold medals while Sami snared bronze in the SAG.

Our Islamabad correspondent adds: With the country’s top three athletes facing a four-year ban, Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) president Maj Gen (r) Akram Sahi has decided to form a disciplinary committee to investigate the reasons behind the athletes’ consumption of performance-enhancing drugs.

Talking to ‘The News’, Sahi said he had decided to form a disciplinary committee headed by trustworthy officials to go deep into the reasons. “I have decided to form a committee to probe into the reasons, whether they did that knowingly or unknowingly, what led them to take these drugs. It will be thoroughly probed.”