Dope shadow over J&K players’ participation in int’l wushu meet

JAMMU: With just a little over a month to go for the 15th World Wushu Championship 2019, uncertainty looms over the participation of two international medallists from J&K in the national team after they were tested positive in a dope test.

Vikas Sharma
Tribune News Service
Jammu, September 10

With just a little over a month to go for the 15th World Wushu Championship 2019, uncertainty looms over the participation of two international medallists from J&K in the national team after they were tested positive in a dope test. The sporting event will be held from October 20-23 in Shanghai, China.

Sources said after 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist Surya Bhanu Pratap was tested positive by anti-doping agency of the international federation, another ace player Rajinder Singh too had been tested positive recently.

The WAI, which has already taken up the case of Surya Bhanu Pratap with the International Wushu Federation (IWUF), is doing the same for Rajinder Singh, who had clinched bronze medal in 2017 Wushu World Cup held at Kazan in Russia.

Earlier, there were rumours doing the round that both Surya Bhanu Pratap and Rajinder Singh were served with a four-year ban by the international federation, but the national body rejected it saying that the fate of both players would be decided in the crucial meeting slated to be held in China before the commencement of the World Cup.

Suhel Ahmed, general secretary, Wushu Association of India (WAI), told The Tribune, “There is no truth as far as the ban is concerned. We are in touch with the international federation. The players too have submitted their reply to the federation in their defense”.

“Surya Bhanu Pratap has mentioned the prescription of the doctor in his reply to the committee of anti-doping agency. The term of the ban period is between one and four years depending upon the seriousness of the case,” he added.

When asked about the possibility of ban on players of J&K, the WAI general secretary replied, “It is for the committee to decide. If it does not find the case serious, the ban will be minimum. And if the committee finds it serious, the ban term is maximum for four years”.

Uncertainty looms

Uncertainty looms over the participation of two international medallists from J&K in the national team after they were tested positive in a dope test. The sporting event will be held from October 20-23 in Shanghai, China.
Sources said after 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist Surya Bhanu Pratap was tested positive by anti-doping agency of the international federation, another ace player Rajinder Singh too had been tested positive recently.