The doctor for India's Commonwealth Games boxing team has been issued with a warning after breaching the Games' no-needles policy for the athletes village.
The Commonwealth Games Federation confirmed on Tuesday it had reprimanded Amol Patil after he conceded he'd incorrectly disposed of a syringe he'd used.
Dr Patil told a federation court hearing he'd administered a vitamin B injection to an athlete who was feeling unwell.
The hearing was sparked after a CGF medical commission investigation into the location of syringes by a cleaner on the weekend near the boxing team's accommodation deemed the matter a clear breach of the policy.
Upon questioning, Dr Patil admitted he had left the needles in his room to obtain a sharps bin from the village medical centre.
While medical practitioners are allowed to bring syringes into the village their use is highly regulated and must have prior approval.
Athletes are banned from having needles in the village unless they have approval for the treatment of a condition requiring auto-injecting, such as diabetes.
The court ruled Dr Patil had breached those protocols by leaving the needles unattended and that the needles in question were not disposed of until after he had made two trips to the village's clinic.
On Monday India's high performance boxing manager, Santiago Nieva, admitted a team doctor had administered a vitamin injection to a sick athlete.
Nieva however disputed any suggestion his 12-strong boxing team had been doping.
Related reading
Nine's Commonwealth Games accreditation suspended
"I'm confident that our boxers (have) not taken anything," he told the Seven Network.
"We had one boxer who didn't feel very well and the doctor has given him an injection."
The CGF said it had issued a strong written warning to the doctor for the breaches with a recommendation he familiarise himself with CGF policies.
It had also ruled Dr Patil's failure to fill out an injection declaration form had been repaired by his compliance via email following the discovery of the syringes and the CGF investigation.
A copy of the warning will also be sent to India's chef de mission along with a warning to ensure there's no further infractions by the Indian team.
Team India was warned at the 2014 Glasgow Games about the use of needles and their correct disposal after syringes were found where their wrestlers and a para-athlete were staying.
The CGF said Gold Coast are the first Games for Dr Patil and India's chief medical officer but the doctor had admitted he was aware of the no needles policy.
On Tuesday, India's boxers trained on the Gold Coast but did not speak to media while the Times of India newspaper reported Indian swimmers and gymnasts had been selected to provide urine samples upon their arrival at the village.
Share
