Senior India goalkeeper Subrata Paul, who has failed a dope test, had declared on March 18, that he was taking cough syrup.
The 30-year-old goalkeeper, who had been an integral part of many a triumphant campaigns in the international arena, it was learnt today had filled in the form in the presence of national team doctor Sreejith Kamal just before the test.
As per the protocol, a player is supposed to declare the medicines he is taking before undergoing a test.
The five-page document is in possession of All India Football Federation, well-placed sources said, and in one of the pages was Paul’ s declaration about the drugs he was being prescribed.
Paul is staring at a career-threatening four-year ban for failing a dope test but has vowed to prove himself innocent by going for the confirmatory ‘B’ sample test.
The 30-year-old Paul returned positive for terbutaline in the tests conducted by National Anti-Doping Agency on his urine sample taken on March 18 during the national camp in Mumbai.
Terbutaline is a bronchodilator and is taken when people have trouble breathing or for medical condition such as asthma. It is also present in commonly-used expectorants administered for cough and cold. But, athletes must apply for a TUE (Therapeutic Use Exemptions) certificate if they want to use asthma-related drugs.
Under WADA rules, Paul has the right to request for a confirmatory ‘B’ sample test. A first-time dope offender serves a maximum period of four-years.