'Meldonium count in Sharapova's blood sample exceeds permissible levels'

April 28, 2016

Moscow, Apr 28: The Meldonium concentration in the blood sample of Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova exceeds the permissible level, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has said.

Sharapova

"Masha’s case is more complicated. The Meldonium concentration in her blood is above the norm. Masha took the formula for several year on her doctor’s prescription. I am not going to announce if she will be able to avoid punishment or not. We just want her to restore her position in sport," Mutko stressed, in an interview aired by Match TV on Wednesday, reports Tass.

Early in March, Sharapova announced that her 2016 Australian Open blood sample contained Meldonioum, which the World Anti-Doping Agency (WASA) had blacklisted as a prohibited formula as of January 1, 2016. The formula refers to S4 class in the WADA list (hormones and metabolism modulators).

Athletes use Meldonium to strengthen endurance to physical strains during training sessions as well as for easing emotional, nervous and psychological stresses at competitions.

Sharapova was temporarily suspended from tennis competitions as of March 12. She received a letter of notification about a positive doping test on March 2.

The maximum term of disqualification for meldonium use is 4 years. The disqualification period is calculated from the date of temporary suspension - as of March 12 in Sharapova’s case. A tennis player, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and WADA have the right to appeal the decision in the course of 21 days since the moment the notification is received.

Sharapova is the winner of five Grand Slam tennis tournaments. She has also won a Federation Cup final as part of the Russian national team. She is also a woman singles silver medalist at the London Olympic Games. All in all, Sharapova has won 38 tennis tournaments, including 35 in singles. The 2016 Olympic Games will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 5-21.

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News Network
March 27,2024

IPLbettingsuicide.jpg

Bengaluru: Darshan Babu is an engineer who is fond of betting on cricket matches and has been placing major bets on Indian Premier League (IPL) games since 2021. He often borrows money after losing a bet, or to place one when he is short on funds. His 23-year-old wife, tired of the constant harassment by creditors, died by suicide.

Ranjitha was found hanging at her home in Karnataka's Chitradurga on March 18. According to the family, Darshan had racked up a debt of over Rs 1 crore.

He worked as an assistant engineer in the Minor Irrigation Department at Hosadurga and had been ensnared in the realm of IPL betting from 2021 to 2023. This took a major toll on the couple's finances. Allegedly, he had borrowed over Rs 1.5 crore to place bets after his luck ran out and he lost all his money. While he managed to return Rs 1 crore, cops say that he still has a pending loan of ₹ 84 lakh.

Ranjitha married Darshan in 2020. She realised the truth about Darshan's involvement in betting in 2021, claims her father Venkatesh.

In his complaint, Venkatesh said that his daughter was extremely distressed due to the constant harassment by moneylenders and this led to her suicide. He has also named 13 men who had allegedly lent the money.

He said that his son-in-law was lured into betting with a promise of quick money.

"He (Darshan) was not willing to get into betting, but the suspects forced him saying it was an easy way to get rich. They promised to finance his betting activities against some blank cheques as security," he said.

Cops during their investigation found a suicide note, where she detailed the harassment they faced. Darshan and Ranjitha have a two-year-old son.

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