Two Indian athletes fail dope test, will miss Commonwealth Games

Both the sportspersons tested positive for banned substances ahead of the quadrennial event.

Just before the commencement of the Commonwealth Games 2022, two of India’s finest track and field athletes have failed dope tests. Dhanalakshmi Sekar, who was one of India’s medal hopes in the ongoing World Athletics Championships and the Commonwealth Games, tested positive for banned substances in tests conducted by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).

Aishwarya Babu is the other banned athlete. She was tested and found positive by National Anti-Doping (NADA) in Chennai. At the meet, she broke the triple jump national record set by Mayookah Johny with a leap of 14.14m.

Mayookah Johny, who was happy when Aishwarya broke her record last month, said, "I was so glad that someone new had come and improved the standards in the triple jump. But when I got to know about her test, I was so disappointed. It is unfair to others. I know how much effort went into creating that record, and if someone breaks it using shortcuts, it’s unjust. I would be happier if someone clean breaks my mark again."

Robert Bobby George, the man behind the success of his wife Anju Bobby George at the World Athletics Championships in 2003, said he had been sceptical about Aishwarya’s record.

"Her improvements were massive and not natural. I go to the ground and stand for five-seven hours, then come back home to prepare the next day’s plan. My athletes and I give 100 percent, and this is so demoralising for honest coaches and athletes. People take shortcuts and win medals while we sweat it out day and night," he said.

Dhanalakshmi Sekar had qualified for the 200m at the World Championships, but her name was not on the start list. Whereas, Aishwarya Babu was another contender for India's much-anticipated medal in both the triple jump and the long jump at the Commonwealth Games 2022.

Since the culmination of last year’s Olympics, there have been several Indian athletes who have tested positive for banned substances. Kamalpreet Kaur, who finished sixth in the discus throw event, and Shivpal Yadav, who is a Javelin Thrower, also made it to this unwanted list.

India’s record in doping cases is a matter of concern as it ranked third according to the latest World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report released in 2021. Russia and Italy ranked first and second respectively in the report.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.