One nation called in

Officials summoned by Games chiefs over discovery of syringes

COMMONWEALTH Games chiefs have summoned a competing nation to an official meeting over a “clear breach” of the Games’ no-needle policy.

The Commonwealth Games Federation confirmed the breach yesterday after investigations into the weekend discovery of syringes at the Gold Coast athletes’ village.

CGF chief executive David Grevemberg would not reveal the nation involved but said officials from that country had been summoned to a meeting with the medical commission yesterday afternoon.

“This is very much an ongoing investigation but there has been a clear breach to the noneedle policy,” Grevemberg said.

“These needles have been brought in and there was no approval for them to be there.”

Grevemberg said any substance within the syringes was yet to be determined.

Reports have linked the syringes to India’s team.

India’s chef de mission didn’t return calls yesterday but the

‘‘ THE SYRINGES WERE NOT FOUND IN INDIAN ATHLETES’ ROOMS. — AN UNNAMED INDIAN OFFICIAL

Press Trust of India quoted an unnamed Indian official denying their athletes had done anything untoward.

“The syringes were not found in Indian athletes’ rooms,” the official said.

“It’s in the same building where athletes from many countries are residing. not belong to us.”

Despite the CGF reporting the items were found by a cleaner, Indian team manager Ajay Narang said at the weekend that his team found syringes in a water bottle outside their accommodation and he took it to the medical commission for analysis.

Queensland’s Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones said the syringes were being tested for DNA as well as any banned substance and the result would be available late yesterday or today. It does

Games Corporation chairman Peter Beattie said the situation was “very unhelpful”, ahead of the opening ceremony tomorrow.

“However I think the most important thing from the Games point of view is to make certain that the appropriate processes are followed and if there’s a penalty that needs to be applied, that it’s applied,” he said.

The CGF has promised a zero-tolerance approach to doping and says any athletes caught cheating will be thrown out of the Games.