First Pakistani athlete banned for failing dope test

Karachi: A Pakistani hurdler has become the first athlete from the South-Asian country to receive a drug ban.

Hurdler Mohammad Sajjad has been banned from taking part in international and domestic events, after he failed a drug test during the Asian indoor championships in Qatar in February.

Sajjad received a two year suspension at his disciplinary hearing held on April 30.

Commenting on the ban, Pakistan Amateur Athletics Federation secretary Khalid Mehmood, said: "He won the bronze medal in the 110 metres hurdles in Qatar but failed to clear the dope tests carried out on all the medal winners by the organizers.''

"This is the first instance of its kind in Pakistan athletics. We have now made it compulsory to have dope tests before all international events," he added.