Indian league rocked by doping scandal
Reuters - Wednesday 09 February 2011, 12:57
MUMBAI - India's national football league
has suffered its first positive doping test since in-competition
checks began in January, the All India Football Federation
(AIFF) said on Wednesday.
Mumbai FC midfielder Nishant Mehra's 'A' sample returned a
positive result following a test conducted in Pune, the AIFF
said in a statement on its website.
"The midfielder will be appearing before the National
Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) panel tomorrow [Thursday]," the
statement said.
"Nishant's 'B' sample will also be tested in his presence
before appropriate action is taken against the player."
In January, NADA started in-competition testing in the
I-League, India's national football league, at the request of
the AIFF.
Mehra tested positive for Tetrahydrocannabinol, which is
found in cannabis and is on the World Anti-Doping Agency's
in-competition banned list, a NADA official said.
"This is the first positive case we have got from the
I-League. The report was sent to the footballer on February 7 [Monday]," the official told Reuters.
"For this substance, there is no need to provisionally
suspend the player and so an immediate suspension has not been
issued. A decision will be taken after the 'B' sample test."
Doping has been a recurring problem in India with
weightlifting producing the highest number of offenders.
October's Commonwealth Games in Delhi was also hit by
several failed drugs tests relating to banned stimulants.