Akkunji plus 5 banned for a year over doping,London hopes evaporate

The Olympic qualification period ends on July 2.

Asian Games double gold-medallist Ashwini Akkunji and five other quarter milers Mandeep Kaur,Sini Jose,Mary Tiana Thomas,Priyanka Pawar,Jauna Murmu were handed one-year ban on Friday for failing dope tests earlier this year.

Senior officials of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) said this makes the chances of any of them making it to the 4x400m relay team at the London Olympics near impossible.

Akkunji,who won a gold in 400 m hurdles and 4×400 m relay at the Asian Games,is definitely out of contention as she needs to serve her ban period up to July 3,2012. The Olympic qualification period ends on July 2.

Mandeep,one of the members of the 4×400 m winning team at the Asian Games,was provisionally suspended on June 23 along with Murmu and can technically make it,though the prevailing mood of the officials is to not leave it till that late.

We have six other girls currently training at Patiala… Even if those who are punished serve their bans,we are unlikely to field them for we wont know what form or fitness they will be in, said a top AFI official.

NADA (National Anti-Doping Agency) panel head Dinesh Dayal had earlier in the day announced what was essentially a reduced penalty period as the athletes were not found guilty of intentionally taking the banned substances. The maximum suspension stands at two years for first-time violators. The panel also found that contamination in their body was a result of the pills given by the coach, he said.