Sanjita Chanu in danger of losing her Gold Coast CWG gold
June 1, 2018, Delhi, Bangalore
Doping menace has come back to haunt Indian weightlifting. In a shocking development, leading woman weightlifter and two-time Commonwealth Games champion, Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu, has failed a dope test. Her sample has tested positive for anabolic steroid testosterone, resulting in her immediate provisional suspension by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) on Thursday.
Sanjita, who holds the distinction of becoming only the second woman weightlifter after Kunjarani Devi to win gold in two different editions of the CWG (Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018), now runs the risk of losing her Gold Coast CWG gold in the women’s 53kg category.
“IWF reports that the sample of Sanjita Chanu Khumukcham has returned an adverse analytical finding for testosterone (S1.1 anabolic agents). As a consequence, the athlete is provisionally suspended in view of a potential anti-doping rule violation,” the IWF said.
Shocked at the news, Sanjita is now hoping to come out clean from the doping slur.
“I have only taken supplements provided by the Federation and my samples (both urine and blood) have been tested many times but it was always negative,” Sanjita Chanu told TOI on Thursday.
“Before I left for the Worlds I gave my sample and the NADA/WADA team took my sample again in Patiala after we returned from USA. So I’m puzzled how this sample, which was given in between these two tests turned positive?” she wondered. “If the B sample is also positive, then I’m sure something has happened. Either, they tested the wrong sample or someone spiked my sample. We all took the same supplements and how come only my sample returned a positive test. It can’t happen that away,” Chanu added.
