CWG: PCI to consider life ban on Sachin Choudhary

Glasgow Even as confusion prevailed over how paraathlete Sachin Choudhary came here as a part of the Indian Commonwealth Games contingent without dope clearance the Paralympic Committee of India was contemplating a life ban on the powerlifterChoudhary checked in at the Athletes Village here as part of the Indian contingent but made a hasty return home on the pretext of deteriorating health of his ailing father However it is now confirmed that he failed a dope test conducted last month by the National AntiDoping Agency and the PCI said it was mulling to even hand him a life banSachins dope sample taken by the NADA on June 23 was found to be positive for a banned substance and now he will give his B sample We will take a decision after the result of B sample comes We dont tolerate doping by our athletes PCI Secretary J Chandrasekhar told PTISurely we will punish him and we are even thinking of slapping a life ban on him said Chandrasekhar though it is not known whether an athlete can be handed a straight life ban on his first dope offenceChandrasekhar said that Choudharys return to home was in a way good luck for India as his presence at the Athletes Village would have been a shame and disaster for the country as the Glasgow 2014 dope team took urine sample from all the paraathletes yesterdayIn a way it was good luck that he returned home and we are heaving a sigh of relief Because I have been told by the team management in Glasgow that samples of all the paraathletes were taken by the dope testing team Suppose Sachin was there and he was caught then that would have been a disaster and shame for India The countrys image is above everything he saidSachin said he was taking some injection for treatment of his elbow and that might have led to the banned substance going into his body But I have enquired from some doctors and they said it may not be the case In any case we are taking strong action so that these things do not happen in futureBefore leaving for Glasgow all the paraathletes had signed an agreement in front of our president that discipline will be maintained during the Games and incidents like doping will not be tolerated So we are thinking of handing out deterrent punishment he said adding that the banned substance was not a steroidChandrasekhar was not so forthcoming about how Choudhary was sent to Glasgow without dope clearance by the NADA He had left for Glasgow on July 13 and till that time there was no report from the NADA about his dope test result May be in future we will not send anybody until and unless we get a clearance from the NADA said ChandrasekharNADA officials could not be reached when contacted but the Sports Authority of India Director General Jiji Thomson said that he would look into the matterI have not got any communication from anybody that Sachin Choudhary has tested positive but definitely I will look into the matter and find out the facts We are very strict about doping and will take action if he is found positive he saidAsked how an athlete can be cleared to proceed for such a big multisporting event Thomson said SAIs job is to recommend athletes to the government and we dont interfere in the functioning of the NADA NADA is a totally independent body and I would not comment on the issue of whether NADA had cleared an athlete or not said Thomson