The two Indian athletes, who were ordered out of the Commonwealth Games on Friday for breaching the ‘no needle policy’, will also face sanctions from their national body following a time-bound inquiry.
Race walker K T Irfan and triple jumper V Rakesh Babu were ordered to return home from the ongoing event after they failed to explain the presence of needles in their bedroom at the Games Village.
Their testimonies, swearing innocence were declared “evasive and unreliable” by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) court.
Valson said the athletes have pleaded innocence and claimed that it was a case of not giving their bags a thorough check before they packed for the Games in Patiala.
“We will try to find out if there is any truth in these claims during the inquiry,” Valson said.
A breach of no needle policy aside, the Indians were cleared of any doping violations after tests.
Athletes are barred from using syringes unless there is prior declaration made to the medical commission or a declaration is made within 24 hours of usage. The duo was found guilty of not conforming to the declaration norms set by the CGF.
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