Tokyo: Seven months ahead of the Tokoyo Olympics,
two Indians reportedly have tested positive for banned substances, according to
the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA). The athletes who have failed the doping
test are shooter Ravi Kumar and boxer Sumit Sangwan. Sangwan, who participated
at the London Olympics. Both tested positive for acetazolamide, a diuretic and
masking agent banned by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Ahead of Tokyo 2020,
India was rooting on the 26-year-old, who recently won silver at the 2017 Asian
Championship.
Traces of propranolol, a medication to treat high blood pressure that is banned
by the WADA, were found in shooter Ravi’s sample. With two Asian Games and a
Commonwealth Games’ medals under his belt, the 29-year-old shooter has shocked
his fraternity as you certainly do not expect this from an Indian Air Force
officer. However, the World Cup-winning rifle shooter has insisted that he took
the banned substance by mistake and hoped that his explanation would help him
get a lighter punishment from NADA.
However, the World Cup-winning rifle shooter has insisted that he took the
banned substance by mistake and hoped that his explanation would help him get a
lighter punishment from NADA.
“I had taken the medicine to treat migraine inadvertently. It was after
being prescribed by my doctor at home days before I was tested during the Kumar
Surendra Nath Memorial Meet in May-June. I explained everything to Nada and
they understood but told me that my only mistake was that I did not disclose
while being tested that I had taken the medicine, which contains a substance
that is banned in shooting. It is used for migraine and high blood
pressure,” Kumar, who has not been with the Indian team since the World Cup
last year in May, told PTI.
The 29-year-old is aware that his Olympic dream is over now but he wanted to
ensure he clears his name and gets back to action soon. “My last World Cup
was in Munich and I feel four years of my hard work for the Olympics is going
down the drain. But I hope the result will come quickly, this month, and I will
fight till the last moment” he added in his interview.
Tokyo 2020: 2 Indians fail dope test
