Indian athletes suspended from Commonwealth Games

Published on Friday 3 September 2010 12:17

Five athletes from Commonwealth Games hosts India have been suspended for failing drug tests.

Four wrestlers and one shot-putter have been sanctioned by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) after their urine samples tested positive for methylhexanamine.

NADA director general Rahul Bhatnagar told the Times of India: "It is unfortunate, but we are bound by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) rules and have to take stringent action. We have issued the provisional suspensions as per WADA rules."

The suspended athletes are shot-putter Saurabh Vij and wrestlers Sumit Kumar (74kg), Mausam Khatri (96kg) and Rajiv Tomar (120kg) and Gursharanpreet Kaur (women's 72kg). Tomar, who had been a gold medal prospect next month in Delhi, had been recently handed the Arjuna Award, the highest sporting honour in the country.

Indian Wrestling Federation president GS Mander said: "This is shocking for all of us. These wrestlers have regularly undergone random tests for the past three years and have never tested positive. They can't be a part of the Commonwealth Games."