LAHORE: The Athletics Federation of Pakistan has made an official announcement regarding the ban on four athletes.
This decision comes in light of the Anti-Doping Organization of Pakistan's (ADOP) notification, which has led to a three-year ban imposed by the federation on athletes.
The ban was imposed due to the athletes' positive results in doping tests, revealing their use of prohibited substances in Lahore.
These athletes underwent testing during the National Games, an event in which the Federation did not participate. The Pakistan Olympic Association Federation oversaw the investigation into this matter.
As a result, the four athletes, namely Uzair Rehman (ARMY), Naeem Akhtar (ARMY), Rabia Ashiq (WAPDA), and Aisha Imran (WAPDA), are banned from participating in athletic events from 20 July 2023 to 19 July 2026.
On October 24, Pakistan’s female sprinter Arooj Kiran tested positive for using prohibited substances and has been provisionally suspended until the resolution of the case.
According to well-placed sources, Arooj’s A sample collected on September 4 by a team of the Anti-Doping Organisation of Pakistan (ADOP) had been sent to the WADA-accredited laboratory in Qatar and highly credible sources confirmed that the result is positive.
Sources said that Arooj had the option until October 20 to confirm if she wanted her B sample tested. When approached by this correspondent, Arooj refused to comment on it.
It is pertinent to mention here that the urine samples of 33 players had been collected before Pakistan’s contingent’s departure for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. Of these the results of five players have been withheld. Arooj and 400 metre specialist Sahib-e-Asra were also among those five athletes whose dope test results had been withheld for the purpose of retest.
Following the development both Arooj and Sahib-e-Asra had been stopped by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) from leaving for Hangzhou to feature in the Asian Games. However after a few hours surprisingly both were allowed to travel to China to feature in the quadrennial event. Sources said that the result of the dope test of Sahib-e-Asra has not yet been received by the sports authorities.
Sohail Imran Sohail Imran is a senior reporter for Geo News.