It will probably go down as one of the worst days for Indian athletics. With quarter-mile relay specialist Sini Jose also testing positive for anabolic steroids, following Mandeep Kaur’s exposure the previous day, it probably sounds the death knell of India’s Olympic relay dream.
Traditionally, the women’s 4x400m relay teams have done well on the international stage and by producing top-drawer runs at the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, the quartet of Manjeet Kaur, Sini, Ashwini Akkunji and Mandeep were the big hopes for the 2012 London Olympics.
With Sini now falling into the drug net after Mandeep and no potential replacements to match their credentials, India’s medal dreams appear to have faded.
Sini was among the five athletes whose ‘A’ samples tested positive on Thursday. Along with Sini, another middle distance runner Tiana Mary Thomas, shot putter Sonia and long jumper Hari Krishnan were named by the National Anti-Doping Agency (Nada).
While the three women flunked the test during the national inter-state championship in Bengaluru earlier this month, the Services’ Hari was tested during an out-of competition procedure in Pune.
Incidentally, Juana Murmu, who had failed a test by the International Amateur Athletics Federation on Wednesday, has also returned a positive test for the inter-state meet.
Following the five confirmations, the dope toll in two days has gone up to six, with Murmu being a double offender.
Sini, Murmu, Hari and Sonia tested positive for metabolites of methandienone, while Tiana’s sample were found to have another anabolic steroid epimethandiol.