2 Indian athletes fail dope tests, to miss CWG

Babu have failed dope tests just a week before the start of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Both have been ruled out of the event, a development that dents India's medal aspirations. It's been learnt the substance found in Dhanalakshmi's sample is an anabolic steroid-androsterone. She has been handed a provisional suspension for her first-time doping offence. Aishwarya, the Karnataka long and triple jumper, caught the attention of dope officials after her recent superb show at the inter-state championships in Chennai.

India is one of the leading offenders in the world of doping in sports. The list of errant athletes continues to grow. Authorities need to take a strict, long-term view of the menace and find ways to eradicate it. The danger of letting matters drift can be extremely damaging. Russia was banned from international sports due to regular instances of doping offences.

Both have been ruled out of the Birmingham CWG, scheduled from July 28 to August 8. "The members of the relay team were training in three different locations - Ooty, Trivandrum and Almaty. Dhanalakshmi was preparing for the USA World Championships and Birmingham CWG in Almaty where her sample was collected by the AIU. It's been learnt that the substance found in her sample is an anabolic steroid - androsterone. She has been handed a provisional suspension for her first-time doping offence," a senior athletics coach told TOI. The Tamil Nadu athlete was part of the women's 4x400m relay squad at the Tokyo Olympics. "She was named in the individual 100m sprint and 4x100m relay squad along with the likes of Dutee Chand, Hima Das and Srabani Nanda for the CWG. The AFI had named a six-member women's 4x100m relay squad, with the other two