Doha: India were shamed once again during a multi-disciplinary event with the country's top discus thrower Seema Antil testing positive for a banned drug and withdrawing from the Asian Games here at the last minute.

Seema tested positive for a steroid apparently in an out of competition test during a training camp.

Although there was no official confirmation as usual, Indian officials admitted privately today that the 23-year-old had indeed been withdrawn from the contingent.

"Seema has been withdrawn from the Asian Games contingent after testing positive for a banned steroid," a team official said on condition of anonimity.

Seema had quietly returned to the country from Muscat, where a part of the Indian atheltics contingent was training for the Games, earlier this week.

This being the second dope offence by the athlete  her junior world gold medal was stripped of in 2001 her career now hangs in balance.

The 23-year-old Melbourne Commonwealth Games silver medallist had tested positive for a banned substance during the world junior championships in Chile in 2000.

According to the World Anti-Doping Agency code, a second dope offence leads to a life ban.

The Haryana girl is the latest in a string of dope offenders which is led by weightlifters. In fact, the Indian Weightlifting Federation has been banned for the second time by the world body in less than two years.