JOIN USThe hearing was scheduled for Saturday at the NADA headquarters but a bout of fever laid low Dinesh Dayal, one of the panel members, forcing the hearing to be deferred. “Mr Dinesh Dayal has fallen ill and he requested for the postponement of hearing to Monday,” said NADA director Rahul Bhatnagar.
The anti-doping disciplinary panel on September 22 revoked the provisional suspension of dope-tainted athletes after the preliminary hearing.
With many of the tainted athletes included the Commonwealth Games squad in swimming, athletics and wrestling, a verdict at the earliest in their favour would have helped them to compete in the mega event if their respective associations allowed their participation. “I am still practising with the hope of taking part in the Games,” said shot putter Sourabh Vij.
Swimmers Richa Mishra and Jyotsna Pansare, freestyle wrestlers Rajiv Tomar, Sumit, Mausam Khatri and Gursharanpreet Kaur were the other athletes who were in the CWG squad before they tested positive.
The swimming and wrestling federations named replacements for the tainted sportspersons while Vij has been kept in the squad by the Athletics Federation of India. All the sportspersons tested positive for methylhexanemaine, which will be placed in the specified substances in the World Anti-Doping Agencies list. The move could save the athletes from a stiffer punishment at the hearing.