Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) India’s leading female quarter-miler Mandeep Kaur, who failed a World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) dope test, Friday pleaded innocence and slammed the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) for not providing a personal doctor to the team.

“Never in my wildest dreams I thought that I would fail a dope test. I have never taken steroids in my life. I have been tested regularly for the last six-seven years and never failed a dope test,” said Mandeep, a gold medallist in the 4×400 metres relay in the Commonwealth and Asian Games.

“The AFI never provided us with a doctor, who could advise us on the food supplements. I am sure if we had a good doctor this wouldn’t have happened,” she said.

Mandeep, who along with dope tainted fellow runner Juana Murmu appeared before the AFI Friday, blamed the food supplements and the vitamin tablets she took.

“In the absence of a team doctor, we bought the vitamins and food supplemnents on our own,” she said.

Mandeep tested positive for methandienone and stanozolol, while Juana consumed banned drug methandienone. Stanozolol is one of the oldest anabolic agents and Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson was disqualified for taking it at the 1988 Olympics.

The others who flunked Thursday in tests conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) are Murmu, a second-time offender, Sini Jose, also a member of the gold-winning relay team, fellow runner Tiana Mary Thomas, shot-putter Sonia and men’s long jumper Hari Krishnan Muralidharan.

Juana, Jose and Sonia tested positive for methandienone while Tiana consumed anabolic steroid epimethandiol during the National Inter-State Athletics Meet held in Bangalore earlier this month. Muralidharan also returned positive for methandienone in an out-of-competition test.

Mandeep said that after the Asian Games, she was put on the WADA list and she was not mad to consume banned substances.

“I think the banned substances might have come in our body from the food supplements. After Asian Games, I am on the WADA list and I would be mad to take banned substances. Traces of these substances stay in our body for at least three months, so any player who is on the WADA list will not dare to take any banned substance. I request the officials to get out vitamins checked in the laboratory,” she said.