Cleaner finds needles at Commonwealth Games athletes village

OFFICIALS from the Indian Commonwealth Games team have denied any involvement after syringes were found by a cleaner at the Games athletes’ village on the Gold Coast.

COMMONWEALTH Games bosses are promising any athlete found doping at the Gold Coast Games will be thrown out of the event.

The commitment comes after the Commonwealth Games Federation revealed needles had been found by a cleaner in the athletes’ village on the Gold Coast.

The Times of India have reported the needles were found where the Indian team was staying, but team manager Ajay Narang denied any links, saying they were found in a water bottle on an outside path.

“One of my guys reported that to us. I had a look and could see these were syringes,” Narang told Agence France-Presse.

“As a good citizen, I immediately went to the Medical Commission office for analysis and disposal. We didn’t open the bottle at all.”

CGF chief executive David Grevemberg couldn’t reveal which nation was involved, nor where or when the needles were located but said an investigation was under way.

At a panel discussion with members of the media this morning, Mr Grevemberg said there would be “absolutely zero tolerance” for anyone caught cheating.

CGF chief executive David Grevemberg says there will be a zero tolerance approach to athletes found doping. Picture: Adam Head

But he would not yet confirm which team was involved in the scandal or whether the syringes were discovered in a room or on a path near the Indian athletes’ quarters.

“There is absolutely zero tolerance for doping - and that means no tolerance,” he said.

“So if you are cheating and you’re found to be cheating, you will be sanctioned. And there is absolutely no flexibility there.”

Mr Grevemberg said they would be receiving preliminary results from the Games’ medical clinician today.

“That doesn’t mean we are going to be making announcements today but … we will work as expediently as possible to resolve this matter for the interest and integrity of the games, and of course the interest of the athletes, most importantly,” he said.

He said he was not aware of a 10pm curfew being placed on members of the Indian team.

“Not that I’m aware of. If I’m not aware of it … I will investigate that as well. So thank you for making me aware that there’s been a ban put in place, or a curfew, for the Indian team,” Mr Grevemberg said.

“I think at this time, as we’ve said, I’m a little bit reluctant to speculate on anything. Right now it’s allegations. And what we’re doing is waiting until we have all the facts before we really come out with any definitive position or decision.”

Gold Coast Commonwealth Games CEO Mark Peters said cheaters would be caught and dealt with.

“Testing has happened before the games, testing happens during the games and samples are being held after the games so that testing can be done in the years after,” he said.

“So if anyone attempts to cheat at any stage, they’re going to get caught. And that’s the important thing for the integrity of Australian sport.”

Just three days out from the Commonwealth Games, many athletes are already at the athletes village on the Gold Coast. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

Part of the CGF’s anti-doping policy is a “no-needles” rule for athletes at the village.

The only exemptions to that is approved medical practitioners or those needing “auto-injection” therapies for conditions such as diabetes.

The revelation comes a week after the CGF announced a strict doping protocol for the Games including the introduction of sample storage for later testing for the first time at a Commonwealth Games.

The storage will mean samples can be retested at a later date and if an athlete is found to have used a banned substance they could be stripped of medals, as has happened to Olympic athletes.