New Delhi: Exonerated by the Sushil Salwan inquiry committee, long distance runner Sunita Rani on Tuesday said she felt vindicated and was preparing herself for the battle ahead - proving her innocence beyond doubt.

"I am happy to be absolved of all charges by the Amateur Athletic Federation of India (AAFI). It just proved that I am innocent," the athlete told after the committee, set up by the AAFI, gave a clean chit to her on Monday.

But the beleaguered athlete admitted her battle to prove her innocence had just begun. "I will fight tooth and nail to get my name cleared. I will fight till the last - just the way Sri Lankan athlete Susanthika Jayasinghe did..."

The star Sri Lankan athlete was banned by the international athletics body after she failed a dope test for nandrolone but she said she had taken Ovral, a medicine prescribed for menstrual troubles, and her ban was revoked.

Sunita Rani said she feared a ban could pull the curtains down on her career. "I am apprehensive about the ban as it could spoil my career," said the Asian Games medallist who won a gold and a bronze in 1500m and 5000m respectively but was stripped of her medals after testing positive for banned substance nandrolone.

The AAFI has promised all support to Sunita and decided to take up the matter with the world athletic body to seek justice for her.

Alleging that "certain quarters" did not want her to participate in the Athens Olympics since she has a chance of winning a medal, Sunita Rani said the "major discrepancies" in the test results of the Asian Games doping laboratory exposed the motives behind such a move.

PTI