Silver lining for Indian relay quartet

India stand to get another silver medal from the Asian Athletics Championships last year at Kobe, Japan, thanks to positive dope tests that nailed two competitors from Kazakhstan and Iraq.

The Indian 4x400M relay team had finished fourth in a four-team contest behind Japan, Kazakhstan and Iraq but Kazakhstan’s Olga Tereshkova failed a dope test subsequently, leading to her team’s disqualification.

It has now emerged that another competitor, Iraq’s Kolestane Mahmoud Ieso, also failed a dope test and was sanctioned by the International Association of Athletics Federations, leading to the result being changed again in the longer relay.

As such, India will be placed behind Japan in silver position in a lucky turnaround after the country had fielded a scratch combination because of the positive dope tests that made their top six quartermilers ineligible for the competition.

The quartet of K Mridula, Jhuma Khatun, O P Jaisha and Tintu Luka had clocked a pedestrian 3:44.17 for their fourth place at Kobe in July last year.

India had won one gold, two silver and eight bronze medals at the meet and their silver count will go up by one now.

Tereshkova and Kolestane had won gold and silver respectively in the individual 400M race and following their suspensions, the medal position will be rearranged, with gold going to China’s Chen Jingwen, silver to Sri Lanka’s Chandrika Subashini and bronze to Chisato Tanaka of Japan.