Teen Chelsea tests positive for banned substance
Another Sri Lankan athlete, 18-year-old Chelsea Melani Bendarage, has tested positive for usage of a banned substance, and a report to this effect has been sent to the Athletics Association (AASL) by the Sri Lanka Anti Doping Agency (SLADA).
The positive result came from the sample collected at the National Sports Festival 2018 held in Polonnaruwa, where Chelsea ran a superb second lap in the 4x100m relay to clinch the Gold for Southern Province.
She is the second Sri Lankan track and field athlete to test positive for doping in a span of two months; quarter-miler Kalinga Kumarage having tested positive for a banned substance earlier.
Superlative performances by Chelsea and the under-18 team from her alma mater Gamini National School, Bentota, caught the attention of many last year. Chelsea clocked an amazing 12.27 seconds to win the girls’ under-18 100m in the All Island School Games, while the girls’ under-18 relay team clocked 49.74 seconds to set a new 4x100m meet record. During the Sir John Tarbat Senior Championship, too, the same relay team clocked 49.96 seconds to erase a 15-year old meet record.
In 2017 another quarter-miler, Pradeep Kumara, tested positive for usage of a banned substance. Pradeep accepted the charge and informed authorities about the huge doping racket with names of several of the country’s top athletes who used the services of the same man who provided him with the banned substance. He even named one of the country’s top athlete, who he claimed introduced him to the banned substance, just like many other athletes. But no action was taken nor an inquiry held regarding his revelation subsequently.
According to Sri Lankan law, apart from athletes facing a ban, legal action could be taken against any person believed to have administered, aided or supplied the athlete with the banned substance, where the perpetrators could face a jail sentence of up to two years, coupled with a possible ban.
Several veteran athletics coaches and officials made several allegation and revelation about an ongoing ‘doping racket’ in the Sri Lankan athletics arena but no action has been taken .
