Mix-up sees hand spray drunk

Tokyo – Japanese authorities have pledged to investigate a mix-up that saw high school athletes given hand sanitiser to drink during a race, with one student falling ill after taking a swig.

Competition organisers for a girls’ 5 000m walking race held last weekend in Yamanashi prefecture mistakenly poured the sanitiser into cups and placed them at a drinks station for athletes.

The sanitiser had been stored alongside drinking water bottles. –