AFI confirms suspension

NEW DELHI: The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has informed the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) that junior athlete Mukesh Beniwal had tested positive for steroid stanozolol during tests done out of competition in Delhi as well as at the Asian junior championships in Macau in July last year. She has been suspended by the AFI up to August 15, 2008.

The IAAF's acknowledgement of AFI's official intimation, though belated, has resulted in the Delhi junior woman shot putter's name being included in the list of sanctioned athletes posted on the IAAF website.

Her results, from July 10, 2006, the date she was tested out of competition at home, will stand disqualified.

Interestingly, she is the only Indian athlete whose name has found its way into the IAAF list for 2006.

It is true that she was the only Indian athlete who tested positive in a test conducted at an accredited laboratory.

However, there were others who turned in `positives' in home tests or violated other rules.

Tamil Nadu long jumper A. Amalanthan was another junior athlete who was suspended around the same time as Beniwal for a steroid offence, while the case of Indu Bala, a discus thrower from Haryana, has dragged on after she sought a `B' sample test following a steroid charge before the Asian junior championships.

There were other juniors who were suspended for possession of banned drugs while being in camps.

Meanwhile, there has been very little progress with the case of 10 athletes who tested positive at the inter-university championships in Bangalore in January. With two and a half months already gone, the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) has initiated procedures to take up the disciplinary action after being briefed by the AFI.

However, there is no confirmation yet whether the athletes have been informed of the charge and told about their right to have the `B' sample test, a primary requirement before any disciplinary proceedings are launched. Unless the AIU hands out a verdict and reports a doping violation the AFI cannot suspend the athletes.