Chandigarh: The doping controversy at the ongoing kabaddi World Cup is growing wider with every passing day as four more players, including one Indian, tested positive for banned substances on Thursday, taking the list of offenders to a whopping 22.
"There is one player from India among the four who have tested positive today. The sample of the Indian has tested positive for stanozolol," National Anti Doping Agency's (NADA) director general Rahul Bhatnagar told PTI.
He said the two other players belonged to Australia and one was from Canada.
On Wednesday, six players - two each from UK, Norway and US - had tested positive.
"We have taken immediate action and have suspended the players and restricted them from taking further part in the tournament," organising secretary of the event and former Indian hockey captain Pargat Singh said. All the 22 players have been suspended and barred from taking part in the competition till their names are cleared.
Other players who have tested positive so far include those from Italy, Argentina, Spain and Germany.
The tests are being conducted by NADA, who have dispatched three teams to the venues to conduct random tests. Before the start of the tournament, a special five-member anti-doping committee had also been formed.
More than 100 samples have been taken already.
Asked if the growing number of dope offenders was bringing a bad name to the sport and the country, Pargat said, "Kabaddi as a sport is an unorganised sector. There is no world body which governs it. We have tried to promote this sport, which people love so much. Now if somebody has committed any wrong, whether deliberately or out of ignorance, we have taken action. We are committed to ensuring a drug-free competition."
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