Vithanage’s urine A sample tested positive in April

Tuesday, 24 May 2011 00:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka’s most famed weightlifter Chinthana Vithanage who participated in the Asian Weight Lifting Championship held in China in April this year has been tested positive with his Urine A sample.

Vithanage is reported to have been taking supplements to give him strength during his training sessions for some time and this supplement has been banned from this year, said an official of the Weightlifting and bodybuilding Federation of Sri Lanka.

This supplementary diet is not of a serious abuse of a performance enhancing drug. Thus an official of the contingent had stated that they will meet today to decide whether to go in for a test with the B urine sample. Vithanage finished joint third in his weight class, but the bronze medal went to the Indian lifter who had a light body weight than that of Vithanage. This is the rule applied when two weight lifters hold a position jointly.

Vithanage is a gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne some time ago and is still a contender for a medal in future competitions as well.