NADA asks for report on athletes' 'disappearance'

In a bid to nab the four core group athletes who reportedly disappeared before dope tests were conducted by National Anti-Doping Agency in Patiala, the country's doping watchdog has asked chief coach Bahadur Singh to submit a report on the episode by next week.

Sources said Bahadur was asked by NADA to report in writing by next Thursday what had happened when the NADA team reached the NIS for a surprise dope test before the July 29-30 All Star Athletics Meet in New Delhi.

Bahadur had then apparently told the officials in writing that few athletes were training abroad and four were on leave.

He, however, was not available for comment.

Sources said if NADA, which has begun investigation after reports of the "disappearance" of four lifters came out, can establish that the four athletes deliberately skipped the dope tests, they may be scratched from the Commonwealth Games' core group camp and even dropped from the Games' athletics team.

NADA has also asked the Sports Authority of India to investigate the matter.

According sources, at least one of the four athletes was asked to stay away from the camp when the matter was brought to the notice of the NIS authorities last month.

But since it was not an "official suspension", the athlete subsequently competed in the National Inter-State Meet in Patiala early this month and won his event.

NIS Executive Director R S Ranawat was also not available for comment. The authorities have banned the entry of media persons into the campus, reportedly on orders from the SAI Director General.