Jani in the ‘dock’ again

Sri Lanka’s controversial short distance woman sprinter Jani Chathurangi Fernando who won a ‘silver’ at the last SAF games held in Colombo last year and subsequently found positive of taking performance enhancing drugs is in the news again.

Chathurangi in spite of being charged of the offence was cleared by the SAF disciplinary committee on a legal point in mid January this year and then once again by the AASL later on the ruse. However she missed participating at the Quatar Aisan Games which followed the SAF games.

Recently Jani made a comeback on to the lane when she took part in the ‘track masters’ meet and obtained the second place in the 100 metres event with a timing of 12:2 seconds. It was Sujani Bhuddika who won that event with a timing of 11:9 seconds.
However in the latest development The World Sports Arbitration Tribunal has taken up the case overlooking the SAF disciplinary let off earlier. Now Jani and the AASL were requested submit their reports on the issue on or before 18th May, for which both had failed to do so.

When The Sunday Times contacted the secretary AASL, Prema Pinnawela he said that the local sports body had requested for another months time to submit its report and this was done prior to the due date of the report which had to be sent its branch in London.

However if the proceedings are to be held in London, the AASL will have to spend a sum close to 15,000 dollars which is about 1.6 million rupees in local currency.