Athletics Integrity Unit(AIU) banned Gomathi Marimuthu, 31-year-old athlete from Tamil Nadu who won the gold medal for 800m in the 2019 Asian Championship, in Doha, Qatar for 4years from 17th May 2019 to 16th May 2023 after testing positive for banned substances. The titles, rankings, points and prizes won by Gomathi from 18th March 2019 to 17th May 2019 will be forfeited and her results will be annulled.
Key Points:
i.She was provisionally suspended in May 2019 when her A sample was tested positive.
ii.The Gold Medal she bagged in the 2019 Asian Championship that was held in Doha, Qatar with the timing of 2 minutes and 2.70 seconds has been stripped by the Athletics Integrity Unit(AIU) when the B sample of Gomathi returned positive.
iii.All the four Samples of Gomathi were tested and found positive for banned substances.
iv.The samples of Gomathi collected in Patiala during the March 15-18 Federation Cup in which she clocked 2 minutes and 3.31 seconds, were tested positive to the banned substances but the National Anti-Doping Agency(NADA) failed to report on time.
v.She is ordered to pay the fine of Rs. 1 lakh to the AIU for the legal and other expenses within 28 days.
vi.Gomathi denied the accusation and mentioned her option to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports(CAS).
Note: The Athletics Federation of India(AFI) has mentioned that the first draft of the bill stating the usage of drugs in sports as a criminal offence by Justice Mukul Mudgal is prepared.
About AIU:
Head– Brett Clothier
Headquarters– Monaco
About AFI:
President– Adille J. Sumariwalla
Secretary General– C.K Valson
Headquarters– New Delhi
About NADA:
Director General– Navin Agarwal
Headquarters– Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi
