Australia disqualified from kabaddi 'World Cup'
The Australian national team was on Sunday disqualified from the kabaddi "World Cup" in India after failing multiple drugs tests, throwing the tournament into chaos.
The Australian national team was on Sunday disqualified from the kabaddi "World Cup" in India after failing multiple drugs tests, throwing the tournament into chaos.
The event, being held in the northern state of Punjab, has brought 14 teams together from across the world to play the popular and highly physical South Asian game, which mixes tag with wrestling.
The "World Cup" -- which is not officially recognised as there is no international governing body for the sport -- has been hit by a series of drug scandals since it began on November 1.
Five Australians failed dope tests and two others refused to give urine samples, leaving the country unable to field a team for their match against Afghanistan on Saturday.
"Five of Australia's players tested positive in anti-dope tests and two absconded maybe out of fear of facing such as test," organising secretary Pargat Singh told AFP.
"Since eight players have to be on the ground, Australia failed to have a quorum at a group stage match yesterday and so have been disqualified. They are out of the tournament."
Afghanistan were awarded the match in a walkover.
A total of 29 players at the tournament have so far tested positive for banned substances, including from Canada, Britain, Norway, Spain and India.
United States team member Manjinder Singh allegedly tried to substitute his urine samples with water and abused National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) staff when he was caught, the Times of India reported.