New hopes for banned athlete Ashwini Akkunje

New hopes for banned athlete Ashwini Akkunje

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Mar 21, 2012: Ashwini Akkunji and three other athletes can once again hope of participating in the London Olympics. 

A National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) disciplinary panel, while ruling that the one-year ban imposed on them will continue being in force has also stated that their suspension period must begin from the date on which their samples were collected. This means that the one-year ban imposed on these athletes will end in time to allow them to participate in the last of the London Olympics qualifying tournaments.

Ashwini, Sini Jose, Priyanka Panwar, Juana Murmu, and Tiana Mary Thomas had failed the drug tests in June 2011, as a result of which they were suspended for a period of one year last December. The suspended athletes had then appealed for a reduction of their ban period. 

The Anti Doping Appeal Panel of Nada, headed by C. K. Mahajan, the retired judge, ordered on Tuesday that the date on which samples were collected from these athletes must be considered as the date on which their ban begins so that they can get trained and participate in the London Olympics qualifiers. 

According to NADA, samples were collected from Priyanka and Ashwini on June 27, 2011 and from Sini on June 12, 2011. Drug tests were conducted twice on Tiana, once on June 12, 2011 and again on June 27, 2011. 

Although the Indian anti doping organization has been kind on the athletes, they cannot expect such leniency from the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) and the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA), both of which want a two-year ban placed on them. 

The IAAF has already filed a petition against Mandeep Kaur and Juana in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and the WADA is expected to appeal to the CAS to increase their ban period by one more year. 

Right now, owing to NADA leniency, the athletes can start training for the London Olympics qualifiers.