Mangalore: Seven the eight top Women athletes of the country, including local C.S. Akkunje, a gold medalist not long ago in Commonwealth Games at Delhi and Asian Games in China, were given one-year ban orders now on Friday (Dec 23), for failing in dope tests just before they were boarding a plane to kobe city in Japan a few months ago.

The ban ends whatever chances they had of participating in London Olympics in 2012.

The seven athletes include six quarter-miles including Ashwini, a probationary employee of local Corporation Bank with Head office in City.

The banned athletes were not present at the headquarters in Patiala of National Anti-doping Agency. Long-jumper (No.7) H. Muralidharan, also missed the bus to London.

The lawyers of these banned athletes are studying the ban order to go in appeal against it. For the fist time bans, the period of maximum ban is 2 years. But these athletes are awarded just one year.

Corporation bank has expressed its discomfiture on the ban imposed on Ashwini and has withdrawn her advertisements.