SAG double-gold medallist Bhandari fails doping test In a shocking revelation, Nepal’s celebrity athlete Rajendra Bhandari, who won two gold medals in the recent South Asian Games (SAG), tested positive for an anabolic steroid, Norandrosterone. Rajendra won two Golds in 10th SAG held in Colombo in August this year. (Photo source: nfpj.com) Member secretary of the National Sports Council (NSC), Jeevan Ram Shrestha, told a hurried press conference in Kathmandu Friday afternoon that the NSC received a report from the Olympic Committee about Rajendra’s doping failure this morning. “We are shocked by the news that our double-gold medallist has tested positive in the doping test,” Shrestha said, informing that a laboratory in Malaysia, which is recognised by the International Olympic Committee, gave the report. Norandrosterone is an illegal drug. A second test will be carried out over the doing issue, which will decide whether or not his record will be cancelled, according to NSC officials. He may also face ban for a certain period if the second test finds him guilty, they said. Bhandari won golds in 5,000m marathon and 3,000m Steeplecahse, with national records, in the SAG held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in August this year. He is associated with the Tribhuvan Club of the Nepali Army. The army facilitated and promoted him by one rank for his historic achievement in the regional sporting event. Meanwhile, the NSC formed a panel headed by vice-president Sita Ram Maskey to investigate into the doping case. The seven-member committee includes two officials of the NSC, Nepal Olympic Committee, Nepali Army, Nepal Police and a lawyer. The NSC has suspended Bhandari’s coaches, Narayan Pradhan and Sushil Nursing Rana,on the basis of the test report. nepalnews.com mk Sep 22 06