Richa Mishra

New Delhi: Dope scandal hit Indian sports for the second time in four days when three Indian swimmers failed the tests conducted by the National Anti Doping Agency (Nada).

Confirming the news, Swimming Federation of India (SFI) secretary Virender Nanavati said that two of the three swimmers — Richa Mishra and Jyotsna Pansare — were part of the national squad for the Commonwealth Games and would be withdrawn from the team if their ‘B’ samples also turn out to be positive.

The third swimmer to fail the test was Amar Muralitharan, a seasoned national level campaigner from Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Last Thursday, six wrestlers and two athletes also failed dope tests.

The news of Richa Mishra testing positive has come as a shock for the swimming fraternity as the Delhi girl was considered one of India’s main hopes to clock decent timings in the Commonwealth Games. Only last week, she was adjudged the best female swimmer in the 64th National aquatic championship in Jaipur.

Surprisingly all the eleven athletes who have failed the tests so far have tested positive for methylhexaneamine, an in-competition banned stimulant. The development has left the doctors at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) shocked as they felt the stimulant could hardly be helpful to a wrestler or a swimmer in improving the performance.

“We have a feeling that all these athletes were taking food supplements outside the prescribed ones,” said one of the SAI sports medicine doctors. “It is something that is not very easily available in the Indian market,” he added.

However, Nada said that it would request the anti-disciplinary panel to expedite the trial of Indian athletes, who have tested positive in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games, once the outcome of their ‘B’ samples are known.

Nada director general Rahul Bhatnagar said: “We have requested the anti-doping disciplinary panel, headed by a retired sessions’ judge that those players whose ‘B’ samples also come positive, should have an expedited hearing for a quick decision, keeping in mind the upcoming Commonwealth Games.”

A total of 39 swimmers, Bhatnagar said, were tested during the National championships in Jaipur. Around 700 core group athletes for the Commonwealth Games have been brought under Nada scanner.