Lifter Chanu B-sample positive, faces life ban

Weightlifter Sanamacha Chanu's B-sample also returned positive for methylahexanaemine, a banned substance.

Weightlifter Sanamacha Chanu's B-sample also returned positive for methylahexanaemine, a banned substance.
Since she has already served a two-year ban after failing a dope test during the Olympic Games at Athens in 2004, she faces a life ban.

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Chanu, a former Asian champion and 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games gold medallist, was added to the Commonwealth Games' core group of lifters in August last year after serving out the two-year ban.

The National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) has been on an overdrive, testing samples from recently held trials and nationals.

On Tuesday, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) received more results from the NDTL, but the good news is that even though there were 58 samples, none returned positive for a banned substance.

“There were a few samples whose results were forwarded to us and fortunately no one tested positive,” said Rahul Bhatnagar, director general, NADA. “This shows that athletes have learnt from their mistakes and have become aware
of anti-doping rules,” he said.