Dope Shame: Another CWG, Asiad gold winner tests positive

The doping scandal that has hit Indian sports refuses to die, with two more female athletes now testing positive for an anabolic steroid.

The two athletes are Ashwini Akkunji and Priyanka Panwar. Akkunji was a Gold medallist at the 2010 Commomwealth Games and 2010 Asian Games. 'A' or the first samples of both athletes have tested positive. There will be further tests.

Last week, doping in athletics had taken scandalous proportions with six athletes, including Commonwealth and Asian Games gold medallists Sini Jose and Mandeep Kaur, flunking the tests conducted by National Anti-Doping Agency.

All the dope tainted athletes, including Akkunji and Panwar, have been axed from the Asian Championships starting on July 7 in, Japan. The 37-member Indian team would be leaving for Kobe later in the day.

Jose, top quarter-miler Jauna Murmu, who was also caught for doping, another 400m runner Tiana Mary Thomas, long jumper Hari Krishnan and shot putter Sonia returned positive for anabolic steroids in their 'A' samples.

The samples were taken by NADA during the June 11-14 National Inter-State Athletics Meet in Bangalore.

Jose and Kaur had won gold in women's 4X400m relay race in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games last year.

Jose, Jauna, Hari Krishnan and Sonia tested positive for metabolites of methandienone while Thomas had another anabolic steroid epimethandiol in her urine sample.

Jose and Thomas have been summoned by the NADA and will be facing a panel in Delhi to undergo B sample tests.