The lure of big money – a purse of $400,000 to the men’s champion and $200,000 to the runner-up – attracted players from all over the world, mostly expatriates from South Asia, where the game is a traditional sport. —AFP Photo

NEW DELHI: The number of doping offenders at the recent Kabaddi World Cup has reached 53, including those that have either tested positive or refused to give a sample.

In response to the high number, India’s National Anti-Doping Agency said Thursday that it will ensure full doping compliance in all sports, including athletics, which saw a number of high-profile doping cases earlier this year.

“We asked for samples of 220 players during the kabaddi championship, of which 53 either tested positive or declined to give their samples,” NADA director-general Rahul Bhatnagar told The Associated Press. “We were surprised by the high number of positive cases early on and tested a lot more participants than we had initially planned to.”

The kabaddi players caught for doping are from several different countries, including Britain, the United States, Italy, Spain, Australia, Norway, Germany, Argentina, India and Pakistan. All of them were barred from further participation in the meet, which was won by India.

The lure of big money – a purse of $400,000 to the men’s champion and $200,000 to the runner-up – attracted players from all over the world, mostly expatriates from South Asia, where the game is a traditional sport.

India’s women’s 4x400-meter relay team, considered one of the country’s best medal candidates at next year’s London Olympics after winning gold at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games last year, was hit by a spate of doping cases earlier this year.

Three from that quartet – Ashwini Akkunji, Mandeep Kaur and Sini Jose – tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Jauna Murmu, Tiana Mary and Priyanka Panwar also tested positive.

Akkunji, Jose and Panwar tested positive for methandienone, while Murmu and Mary tested positive for epimethandiol, and Kaur for stanozolol.

“The future of the athletes depends on what punishment the doping panel gives. If the panel gives a ban for two years, it stays that way. We don’t try to help anybody and are on the prosecution’s side,” Bhatnagar said. “In fact, if we are not happy with the decision, we will appeal against it.”

A three-member panel headed by former judge Dinesh Dayal is looking into the athletics doping cases.