Athletics
Indian Athletes regain entry to 'Meeting de Limoges' amidst doping controversy
Among the affected athletes were a Commonwealth Games medallist, a junior world medallist, and a high jumper.
Three Indian athletes initially barred from competing in the "Meeting de Limoges" have been granted permission to participate following the intervention of the Athletic Federation of India (AFI), the Sports Authority of India (SAI) confirmed, on Thursday.
The "Meeting de Limoges" is a challenger-level athletics meet on the Continental Tour of the World Athletics calendar, scheduled to take place in Limoges, France, in June. However, the entries of three Indian athletes were abruptly cancelled last month by the organizers, citing controversies related to doping and athletics in India.
Among the affected athletes are a Commonwealth Games medallist, a junior world medallist, and a high jumper, all of whom were eager to showcase their talent on the international stage.
The decision to bar these athletes came hot on the heels of the release of the 2022 Testing Figures report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The report revealed that India had recorded the highest percentage of failed dope tests among countries that tested more than 2,000 samples. Out of 3,865 samples tested (urine and blood combined) during the specified period, 125 returned adverse analytical findings, constituting 3.2% of the total samples.
This alarming statistic sparked concerns within the global athletics community, leading to increased scrutiny and suspicion surrounding Indian athletes. Consequently, non-offending athletes found themselves grappling with the fallout of this heightened skepticism, with some facing unjust repercussions.
However, with the intervention of the AFI, the three Indian athletes have been granted a reprieve, allowing them to reclaim their spots in the prestigious event.
