Athletes Akkunji and Panwar caught in dope net

Updated on: 05 July,2011 07:50 AM IST |
IANS |

Ashwini Akkunji, who was a revelation at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games winning three gold medals, has failed the dope test along with another 400-metre runner Priyanka Panwar

Ashwini Akkunji, who was a revelation at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games winning three gold medals, has failed the dope test along with another 400-metre runner Priyanka Panwar taking the total number of athletes returning positive to a shocking eight.

Both Ashwini and Priyanka were part of the 4x400m relay squad for the Asian Championships at Kobe from July 7. They have now been dropped from the squad.

Ashwini won the 400m hurdles in the Asian Games and was also part of the victorious 4x400m relay team in the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games last year. Two more members of the famed women's relay team, Mandeep Kaur and Sini Jose, have already failed the dope test.

The tests on Ashwini and Priyanka were conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) in Patiala June 27. "It was an out of competition test. They have (Ashwini and Priyanka) tested positive for methandienone," an official told IANS.

All the eight athletes have tested positive for the same steroid. "Two more athletes have been tested positive in the same salt as the other six athletes. We have received the communication from NADA," said Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president ML Dogra. "They (Ashwini and Priyanka) were part of the team for the Asian Championships in Kobe, they have been provisionally suspended."