BANGALORE: It seems the best efforts of the likes of Mayookha Johny is not enough to lift the gloom on Indian athletics with the addition of one more name to the dope tainted list. The latest woman athlete to test positive is upcoming 400m runner Ranjana Roy of West Bengal.
Ranjana, who finished third in the second heat at the National Inter-State meet in Bangalore in June, returned positive for steroid nandrolone. She was tested during a trial conducted by Railways in Patiala.
Many athletes ran away when National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) officials went to the trials for samples. "The athletes taking part in the trials at Patiala to make the Railways team for next month's Open Nationals were completely caught off-guard when NADA officials turned up to collect samples. Many of them ran away from the venue leaving behind even their spikes sensing danger," sources said. "This is the first time NADA is collecting samples during a department trials and some athletes thought they would be safe during trials," sources said.
They said with the NADA being clearly told to increase the number of testings per year, the agency focuses even the small meets. "In some events at the trials, even the sixth placed athlete was tested," they said.
Meanwhile, NADA chief Rahul Bhatnagar said the increased awareness on doping has resulted in a dip in positive cases. "At the recent trials conducted by the Railways in Patiala we collected 26 samples out of which one returned positive. As the A sample has turned positive we have issued a provisional suspension," Bhatnagar told TOI. "Every month we test around 300-350 samples and this is the first case in few months. Even here only there is one adverse result out of 26 tests," he said.
Asked about reports that there were many others who may have evaded the tests, Bhatnagar said it is up to the Railway Sports Promotion Board to ensure that the athletes are available for testing. He also said that NADA is increasing the number of dope tests periodically. "Last year we conducted 3000 tests, this year we are doing 3500. Henceforth our focus will also be on State meets and Inter-University meets," Bhatnagar said.
