Urine Sample Not Mine: CWG Gold Medalist Chanu on Failed Dope Test

“In USADA’s notification letter, my urine sample was given two different numbers. So, it couldn’t be my sample.”

File photo of Sanjita Chanu.

(Photo: Reuters)

Ignored by the India Weight Lifting Federation (IWLF), Commonwealth Games Gold medalist Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu is appealing to the prime minister and union sports minister to help her clear her name against the doping case snapped on her by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

Chanu is currently under provisional suspension following a urine sample test conducted by the USADA that came back with results positive for anabolic steroid testosterone.

Speaking to The Quint, Sanjita not only rejects the test results of the out-of-competition urine sample collection drive conducted during her participation in the International Weightlifting Federation’s World Championship held in November 2017 in Las Vegas, USA, but alleges there could be a mistake in the handling of the urine sample.

My first reaction when I was informed about the result by my coach, Vijay sir, was that there must be a mistake. The urine sample could not have been mine.

Sanjita Chanu

Gold medallist Sanjita Chanu Khumukcham (center), silver medallist Loa Dika Toua of Papua New Guinea and bronze medalist Rachel Leblanc-Bazinet of Canada at the podium during CWG 2018.(Photo: Reuters)

Sanjita said that she has never taken the banned substance, and further revealed that she took part in the IWF World Championship just for sake of it, as she was nursing an injury at the time.

I was nursing a muscle injury at that time. I didn’t even eat or touch any banned substance. I can’t believe it till now.

Sanjita Chanu

Besides her personal conviction, the USADA’s notification letter to the IWLF has given room for her to allege a conspiracy theory. The notification digressed from the norm by giving Sanjita’s urine sample two numbers instead of one.

While Sanjita’s sample was quoted as ‘sample no. 159 90 00’ in the opening part of the letter. The same sample which should be referred to by the same number was instead referred to as ‘no. 159 91 76’ in the latter part of the notification letter.

In USADA’s notification letter, my urine sample is given two different numbers. This confirms my doubt that it couldn’t be my urine sample.

Sanjita Chanu

Meanwhile Sanjita plead to the IWLF for clarification and for DNA testing of both the samples has fallen on deaf ears.

“The federation is sending my B sample for confirmation. If that comes positive, I’m finished. What I wanted is to first confirm whether the sample is indeed my sample by going in for a DNA verification,” sobbed the athlete.

Sanjita alleges that the cordial relations with her coaches, Vijay Sharma and Sandip Kumar and her physiotherapist, Aakran Saxena have turned soar following her insistence to identify the two urine sample numbers through DNA testing and clarify why USADA mentions two instead of one sample number.

Before, when things were alright, it was all okay. But now after the crisis, I’m beginning to doubt what they are saying. They are being non-responsive to my cause. After I’ve bought up the issue of my urine sample having two different numbers, they are acting strange. Instead of clearing my doubts, they acting just the opposite giving me cause to suspect a conspiracy.

Sanjita Chanu

Sanjita Chanu Competes at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.(Photo: Reuters)

Instead of preparing for the upcoming Asian Games, where she was hoping to create a new record, Sanjita is busy scanning through documents hoping to find out what has gone wrong with her urine sample.

With the IWLF, totally neglecting her sentiments, the weightlifter who thrilled the nation with her sterling performance at the recent Commonwealth Games is getting getting desperate fearing her Olympic dream could also be shattered like the Asian games through no fault of hers. Ultimately, she is turning to none other than the prime minister and the union sports minister to help her out in this crisis.

Till today, I’ve competed hard for the glory of India and I’ve bought gold for my country. Likewise, I’m thinking the same for the upcoming Olympic games and Asian Games. Because of this crisis, my Asian Games dream is gone. I don’t want similar fate for the approaching Olympics. I want to appeal to the prime minister and the union sports minister help me clear my name by going for a DNA testing of my urine sample.

Sanjita Chanu