Jani case dragging further

Notwithstanding the six month ban on the two Pakistani boxers after they were proved positive of using performance enhancing drugs at the last South Asian Games held in Colombo, the probe on Sri Lankan athlete Jani Chathurangi who was reported positive on the same charges seems to be dragging further is still to face her verdict.

According to the convener of the AAA’s disciplinary Committee Premada Pinnawela the AAA has to wait till the end of November to get further instructions from the IAAF, as to how the probe against this athlete should be conducted.

Explaining further on this matter the AAADC convener said that last week he met IAAF’s doping section chief Gabriel Dolle and its results manager Thomas Capdeveille in Monaco and had discussions on the matter. There the two IAAF heavyweights had reiterated that as Jani Chathurangi is a listed athlete of the IAAF, only the local AAA is authorized to conduct any inquiries and recommend any actions against any athletes who are proved positive on performance enhancing drug charges. A minimum of two years is the ban recommended by the IAAF for such misdeeds.

Meanwhile SAG medical unit who conducted the initial inquiry upon the positive results from the WADA accredited Anti Drug laboratory in Malaysia are due pronounce their verdict on the 5th of December.

Speaking to the Sunday Times the head of the SAG Medical Unit Dr. Geethanjana Mendis said that “Our inquiry Unit which was headed by Dr. Ravindra Fernando gave her a fair hearing and so has been the disciplinary panel headed by the President’s Counsel Wijedasa Rajapakse. First they wanted a postponement and they wanted time to file an affidavit we have acceded to their requests, but, December 5th is the final date and then we will take our decision and inform the relevant authorities”.

Meanwhile Dr. Mendis also revealed that the Nepalese athlete Bandari whose ‘B’ sample was also proved positive for the same drug Norandrosterone, is absconding. Though he has been requested to appear before the SAG medical unit so far he has not done so. As a result we informed WADA about this situation and they have advised us to ban him for two years if he fails to appear before the inquiry panel before the stipulated date.