The US men kabaddi team has been banned from the ongoing World Cup in Punjab after the players refused to take doping tests, an official said Wednesday.
The disciplinary action has been taken after the refusal of US team players to give urine samples to National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) officials in Hoshiarpur Monday. "Taking a serious note of the refusal by the players, the technical committee (of World Cup kabaddi) held a meeting and decided to impose ban on the US team for rest of the matches," a spokesman of the organising committee said.
The US team is leading Pool-B of the tournament in the men's section and the ban imposed on it will have a bearing on the event. The team is in line to make it to the semi-finals of the tournament. Five players from the team have been suspended after they tested positive in dope tests conducted randomly on players of various teams from 14 countries.
So far, over 30 players have tested positive in doping tests in the 20-day tournament which ends Nov 20. Hosts India and Canada have already made it to the semi-final. Neighbouring Pakistan is also likely to reach the next round. The opening ceremony was held in south-west Punjab town of Bathinda while the final match and the closing ceremony will be organised at Ludhiana