Patiala: Numerous positive doping tests among players has turned the second 'World Cup Kabaddi' into a farce. Five players, two from Canada and one each from UK, Italy and Australia, were found positive on Tuesday, taking the overall tally to 12 out of 36 samples whose results have been declared.
This has cast a big shadow over the event, putting the organizers, Punjab government's sports department, in an embarrassing position. The samples taken on November 4 at Moga have had traces of nandrolone, Methylhexanamine, methanteramine and other stimulants.
"About every third player tested so far has been found positive with steroids and stimulants. It is a grave situation," said NADA director general Rahul Bhatnagar. Out of the 36 samples taken, six were from India and thankfully, all of them were found to be clean. Punjab's sports director Pargat Singh admitted, "12 is not a small number. The tournament has been marred by so many positive cases."
Pargat added, "The biggest problem is that there is no international governing body in this game." Meanwhile, after two Australian players were found positive in the dope test by the NADA, team coach Ravinder Singh expressed fear that the Australian sports bodies may turn against them and the sport may suffer a setback Down Under.
"To be very true, I don't know whether we will be participating next year or not," said an apprehensive Australian coach. "The positive test of two players has put the future of the game in jeopardy. We were not registered with any sports body there but contemplating to do so, but now it seems impossible. There is a lot of resentment in Australia. I have been getting phone calls continuously since the players tested positive. Though they have decided to go in for 'B' samples, the damage has already been done," he added.
If NADA or the Punjab sports department writes to Australian authorities, it will become even tougher for the tainted plaers. "We don't know as of yet what will happen once we reach back home," Ravinder said, just before their match against Germany, who too have one player in the dope net.
TOI