Two athletes kicked out of Commonwealth Games over needles found

TWO Indian athletes will be sent home on the first available flight after being kicked out of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

TWO Indian athletes have been kicked out of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games after more needles were found in the athletes village.

Commonwealth Games Federation president Louise Martin revealed today that syringes had been found in a cup and in an athlete’s bags.

She said triple jumper Rakesh Babu and race walker Irfan Thodi had been suspended and their accreditation revoked.

Ms Martin said the two athletes would be sent home on the first available flight.

Ms Martin said cleaners had found a needle in a cup in the apartment assigned to Babu and Thodi yesterday.

The athletes village, where needles were found. Picture: AFP/ Peter Stebbings

Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) investigators then searched the room and located another needle in a bag belonging to Babu.

Ms Martin said an investigation into the incident had found denials by the two athletes to be “unreliable and evasive”.

As a result both had been removed from the athletes village and their accreditation suspended.

The Indian Commonwealth Games Federation has been told to send both athletes home on the first available flight.

“When the Commonwealth Games Federation says no tolerance, the Commonwealth Games Federation means no tolerance,” Ms Martin said.

Under Games rules only medical practitioners and athletes with an approved medical condition requiring auto-injection such as diabetes can bring needles into the athletes’ village.

Babu was due to compete in Saturday’s triple jump final while Thodi finished 13th in last Sunday’s 20km race walk.

It’s the second time Team India has been in breach of the no-needles policy on the Gold Coast with a doctor from the boxing team reprimanded for failing to properly dispose of a syringe in the days leading up to last week’s opening ceremony. India was cleared of doping after the find.

As well as the athletes’ suspensions, “strong reprimands” were issued to Indian officials today including the team’s chef de mission with a warning that any further breaches could result in suspension of accreditation.

Comment has been sought from the Indian team.

Meanwhile, Commonwealth Games officials confirmed a total of 11 African athletes were now missing — eight from Cameroon, two from Sierra Leone and one from Rwanda.

Among them are Sierra Leone men’s doubles squash players Ernest Jombla and Yusif Mansaray, who failed to show for matches including one yesterday against India.

Eight Cameroonians — five boxers and three weightlifters — disappeared from the athletes village earlier in the week.

Games officials say the athletes have not yet officially breached their visas, which do not expire until May 15.

Originally published as Two athletes kicked out of Commonwealth Games over needles found