New Delhi: In a new twist to the doping controversy, Sunita Rani's fight to prove her innocence has received a shot in the arm after "huge discrepancies" were reportedly found in the amount of a banned substance, nandrolone, in her 'A' and 'B' samples tested during the Asian Games in Busan.

However, there have been no comments by officials of Amateur Athletic Federation of India on the reported "discrepancy".

"I feel vindicated. I have been saying all along that I am innocent. I hope I will be cleared of the drug charges now," the 22-year-old middle distance runner said over phone from her Sangrur residence reacting to a report that quoted some documents to say there was a huge difference in the nandrolone level in the 'A' and 'B' samples taken after the 1,500 metres race.

Sunita was stripped of her gold and bronze medals after she tested positive for nandrolone during the Busan Asian Games. The athlete vehemently denies having taken any performance-enhancing drugs.

Result of the 'A' sample taken after the 1,500 metres run shows nandrolone at 21 nanograms per millilitre whereas in the 'B' sample it is six - a variation which experts say is unheard of, according to the report.

"There is a big difference in the first sample taken after the 1,500 metres run. Unless there is a calculation error, it is rather unusual," a sports medicine expert said on condition of anonymity.

"This discrepancy questions the reliablity of the results. Once an error is found, you can always cast aspersions on the results of the two other samples taken after the 5,000 metres," the expert said.

"Had she not taken part in the 5,000 metres, one could have really argued her case showing the big difference in the 'A' and 'B' samples taken after 1500m."

Sunita also found the discrepancy rather unusual and believed that it would strengthen her case.

"I have not heard of such variations till date. The laboratory which conducted the tests is not a local or district level lab likely to make mistakes. This is an international level lab," she said.

"For them it is just a change in procedure but my career is at stake. I cannot fight this alone. I need the co-operation of everybody," she said.

The Amateur Athletic Federation of India (AAFI), which has constituted a one-man Sushil Salwan enquiry committee to probe the doping scandal, will, however, wait for the committee's report before deciding its future course of action.

"It is premature to comment on newspaper reports. We have our own enquiry committee and we will wait for the report which is expected by this week," AAFI secretary Lalit Bhanot said.

Bhanot said AAFI will go through the report and observations of the enquiry committee and take decisions taking into account "all aspecs of the report".

PTI