Relay team member Sandeep in dope net

Quartermiler Sandeep, member of the Indian 4x400M relay team initially named to participate in the Incheon Asian Games, has tested positive for steroid stanozolol in an out-of-competition test conducted by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) after the Federation Cup at Patiala (August 16 to 19).

The relay team could not make the grade despite two trials on September 15 and 18 at Patiala. It clocked 3:08.62 on the first occasion and 3:07.05 the second time as against the standard of 3:06.49 set by the AFI.
Sandeep, representing Delhi, finished sixth in 400M in the Federation Cup at Patiala in 47.72 seconds to be named initially in the Incheon-bound team.

It was not immediately known whether the decision of the Athletics Federation of India to drop the team for the Games had anything to do with Sandeep testing positive. A similar incident had happened prior to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow when one of the 4x100M relay team members, Mohammed Baba, tested positive. The team was later dropped.

Though the AFI has stated that it had dropped the men’s 4x400M team, it has now been learnt that it is mulling to field a team comprising the two individual 400 runners, P Kunhumohammed and Arokia Rajiv, and the two 400M hurdlers, Jithin Paul and Joseph Abraham at Incheon.

Meanwhile, track legend Milkha Singh said AFI was right in not sending the 4x400M relay team to Incheon. “AFI is right in not sending the relay team. All athletes should clear the qualification mark in trials for their inclusion in the team,” Milkha said, on the sidelines of an athletics talent hunt programme.