Jani recommendations this week

The future of Jani Chatunrangi will only be known later this week. Head of the Sports Medicine Unit Dr. Geethanjana Mendis speaking to The Sunday Times said that the inquiry in to the doping scandal was held as scheduled on the 5th of this month.

“Chaturangi had hired a lawyer to represent her. There were some questions which were directed by her lawyer which we as doctors could not answer. As a result Presidents Counsel Ikram Mohammed was retained by the organizing committee of the South Asian Federation Games to answer these submissions. He had submitted his report to the head of the Disciplinary Committee President Counsel Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe on December 13. Rajapakshe in turn will submit his committee’s recommendation to the IAAF/AAA sometime this week,” said Dr. Mendis.

Dr. Mendis added there was positive proof that Chaturangi had taken the banned performance enhancing drug Nandrolone. He based this on the fact that there was a high level of the substance in the urine sample taken and tested by Professor Ravindra Fernando. “The punishment can be anything from a slap on the wrists to a two year ban”, said Dr. Mendis and added: “A Nepalese athlete called Bandari had also failed a doping test. He was asked to come to Colombo for an inquiry. He failed to do so. We wrote to the World Anti Doping Association (WADA). They in turn recommended the maximum punishment. WADA views things like this very seriously. Otherwise the whole purpose of having such an association is lost. Because Pakistan lifted the ban on their two cricketers, WADA is considering sanctions on the whole team.”