MADURAI: A large number of used syringes found piled up in the toilets of the Madurai Race Course Stadium have raised concerns over possible drug use among sportspersons training at the venue.

Police have collected the syringes and will send them to a laboratory to identify the substances used.

The stadium hosts various sporting events, including state-level athletics competitions, and serves as a training venue for athletes from disciplines such as badminton, basketball, cricket, table tennis and volleyball.

The general public is also allowed to use the facility for exercise in the morning and evening.

Madurai City Police Commissioner S Rajendran said the syringes appeared to be old and that it was too early to determine whether they contained traces of banned narcotics or performance-enhancing drugs.

“We will send them to the laboratory to examine the residue in the syringes and identify the substances used,” he said.

Rajendran said some bodybuilders were also reportedly using syringes to lower their heart rates before training.

Laboratory analysis would help identify the medicines or chemical substances involved, and further action would be taken based on the findings and other evidence gathered during the investigation, he added.

A senior stadium official said there was no CCTV surveillance inside the toilets and that cameras would be installed in the area soon.

The official said the toilets were accessible to the general public and cautioned against prematurely suspecting student athletes of using the syringes to enhance their performance.