Triple jumper Renjith Maheswary, who was today denied Arjuna Award by the Sports Ministry for flunking a dope test in 2008, admitted that he had appeared before an enquiry panel of the Athletics Federation of India at that time for returning positive for a banned drug.
"I had taken medicine for cold and cough prescribed by my local doctor in Kerala and that had led to the result (positive for ephedrine) in my urine sample. I was told by the AFI to appear before its enquiry committee in 2008 and furnish all the documents and certificates how the banned drug had entered into my system," Maheswary told PTI from Chennai.
"I appeared before the AFI enquiry panel and submitted the prescription and certificate of my local doctor that I was suffering from cold and cough and I had taken medicine for that," said Meheswary, who in 2008 represented Kerala and later shifted base in Tamil Nadu.
The 27-year-old said he had furnished information while giving his urine sample that he was suffering from cold and cough and so he was taking medicines.
The Sports Ministry in a release said that Maheswary had not reported using ephedrine for medicinal purposes during the collection of the sample.
The Sports Ministry also said that Maheswary was communicated by the Director of AFI on January 10, 2009 that he had been handed three months suspension for a dope offence.
Maheswary, however, maintained that he was not informed by any authority, including the AFI, that he was banned for three months for dope offence.
"I was not informed by anybody, including the AFI, about a three-month ban. I appeared before the AFI panel and I was told I had committed some wrong. I put my case that the drug had entered into my body due to the use of medicines I took for my cough and cold. That was it. Nobody told me about the suspension later on," he said.
