Sprinter who ran solo in Delhi athletics meet fails dope test

PTI

New Delhi, December 5

Sprinter Lalit Kumar, who ran solo in the 100m final at the Delhi Athletics Championships in September after seven other competitors pulled out on hearing the presence of NADA officials, has failed a dope test, according to officials.

It is learnt that Kumar’s urine sample collected after the race on September 26 has returned positive for a banned steroid.

Eight runners had qualified for the 100m final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium but seven disappeared apparently after hearing that dope testers from the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) were present at the competition venue to take urine samples.

Delhi State Athletics Association president Sunny Joshua said that the committee, which was formed to look into how the seven other runners pulled out of the race, will submit a report in a few days.

“The punishment for any dope offender is handed by the NADA, we have nothing to do with that. But we had formed a committee to look into how the seven other runners had pulled out. The committee will submit its report in two-three days,” he said.

“We are considering banning them (seven runners) for two years if they are found to have pulled out of the race without plausible reasons,” Joshua added.

AFI President Adille Sumariwalla said last week during the national federation’s Annual General Body Meeting in Amritsar that he has requested the NADA to collect more dope samples from the participants at the state and junior meets across the country to tackle the menace of doping more effectively.

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