Reports : Athletes escape AFI camp to evade doping tests

For all of AFI’s claims about their national camps being free from doping, it saw numerous top athletes leaving the campus in a hurry when the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) officials came. It happened in more than one camp with one camp seeing three athletes, including one woman, disappearing, while the other saw multiple international medalists running away.

It has spurred the Sports Authority to India (SAI) officials to take strict action although the international athletes are yet to get a show-cause notice.

"The top athlete ran away when NADA officials visited the centre for random dope tests. This happened when anti-doping officials came calling immediately after news broke that the women's 800m winner at the Asian Championships, Gomathi M, failed dope tests," said sources, reported TOI.

Whole the top athletes are yet to be dealt with SAI has enquired into three other young members in yet another camp. “Once the officials found out that a few athletes had avoided giving samples to NADA officials when they came on June 6, the matter was taken seriously and the officials inquired into the matter,” sources said.

Two of the escaped three were cleared after AFI chief coach Bahadur Singh confirmed that they were given leave for Ramzan, the remaining one, triple jumper Anusha G Poojary, was immediately asked to leave the camp.

TOI has also reported that the three athletes, including a woman, went missing from training only during the period of testing and for a few days following that. 

"They all ran away once they learnt that NADA officials have arrived to collect their samples. The female athlete stayed at a house nearby for two days before returning to the camp. Ironically, all these athletes who disappeared had signed the mess attendance register during their period of absence from training," sources added.