Used syringes were found scattered inside the washroom of the Giri Centre sports stadium at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, the venue of the seventh Haryana State Senior Athletics Championship that concluded on Sunday. The discovery has raised suspicions that some athletes may have used performance-enhancing drugs during the event.This marks the second such incident in recent months. In December last year, used syringes and vials were found at a boxing event in Hisar, also pointing to possible doping.Following a report by The Tribune, the Haryana Sports Department issued strict warnings to sports associations and federations, threatening suspension and denial of venues for future events.The two-day athletics meet, organised by the Athletics Haryana and its Hisar unit, saw around 900 participants. The syringes were found strewn on the floor, hidden behind toilet flushes and even placed above washroom walls.Manoj Kadwasra, secretary, Athletics Hisar, admitted to spotting the syringes after the event, but claimed no samples were taken from participants. “We could not detect any suspected athletes, so there was no need for testing,” he said. However, he acknowledged discussing the matter with coaches and officials, some of whom speculated that the syringes may have been used by athletes during regular practice sessions rather than the championship. “If doping is happening during practice, what can we expect in competitions?” he remarked, not ruling out the possibility.Rajender Malik, president, Athletics Haryana, asserted that the association had an anti-doping committee to monitor participants, but admitted he was not present during the event. “It’s unlikely any athlete doped during the championship,” he claimed.Meanwhile, Ravinder Kumar, joint secretary of the newly formed Haryana Olympics Association (HOA), condemned doping as a “blot on sports” and vowed strict action. “This practice is illegal, ruins careers and tarnishes athletes’ reputations,” he said.