South Asian champion Priyadarshani tests positive for banned drug

Premila Priyadarshani who won the 100 metres gold medal at the South Asian Athletic Championships in March has tested positive for a banned drug, Athletics Association sources revealed yesterday.

Priyadarshani had tested positive for the drug Terbutaline at the recent National Athletics championships in Colombo where she was subjected to a random test after finishing second in the 100 metres behind her arch rival N.C.D Priyadarshani.

The results of the test done by a WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) approved laboratory in Malaysia had been intimated by the lab to the Athletics Association of Sri Lanka (AASL), International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and WADA.

IAAF has already asked the AASL to submit the name and other details of the athlete to them.

AASL President Major General Palitha Fernando said that they would conduct an inquiry today to ascertain the facts, and said that they could announce the circumstances of the positive result only after that.

“It is a positive test. But we will know what really happened only after today’s inquiry. We can comment on the issue only based on the findings” he said

Priyadarshani registered her most famous victory in the 100 metres at the South Asian Athletics Championships in March this year in Cochi, India defeating Jani Chathurangi de Silva, another Sri Lankan sprinter who has been banned for doping. She clocked 11.74 seconds while de Silva finished with a time of 11.87 seconds.

According to Wikipedia ,the web-based encyclopaedia, Terbutaline which is sold under trade names Brethine, Bricanyl, or Brethaire is a â2-adrenergic receptor agonist, used as a fast-acting bronchodilator (often used as a short-term asthma treatment) and as a tocolytic to delay premature labour.

The inhaled form of terbutaline starts working within 15 minutes and can last up to 6 hours.Terbutaline is currently on the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of prohibited drugs, except, when administered by inhalation, and a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) has been obtained in advance.