Rai denies taking any stimulant

Weightlifter Satheesha Rai, who is believed to have failed a dope test after winning two gold and one silver medals in the 77-kg category at the Commonwealth Games, on Thursday denied taking any stimulant and said he is "innocent".

He told reporters in Bangalore he has been taking normal food supplements, which include vitamins, 'ginseng' and 'ashwagandha', for the last several years but never any stimulant.

"Winning the gold at the Commonwealth Games is not a big thing. I don't require stimulants to win medals," he said, adding, "before leaving for Manchester the Sports Authority of India had conducted a dope test and it was negative."

He said he represented India on more than 16 occasions in events like the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, and had undergone dope tests 35 times but never tested positive.

Expressing shock over the positive test, he declared: "It [taking stimulants] is beyond my imagination. I am unaware of the fact."

To a question, he replied that he has not been stripped of his medals. The medals, he said, were taken by Indian Olympic Association director A S V Prasad, and "they are with him now".

Asked if some adulterated drug could have contained a stimulant, he said he had not taken any new supplements.

He informed that there is no machine in India through which one can detect whether food supplements contain stimulants and ruled out being targetted for the random dope tests.

"I don't think so," he said.

On a test for his 'B-sample, he said, "The results of the first test have not been officially announced by the organisers in the first place."