CHENNAI: In another embarrassing episode in Indian athletics, a prominent coach has been suspended by the National Anti Doping Agency. According to the latest update on the NADA website on “List of Provisionally Suspended Athletes” Mohammad Yunus Khan, an Army coach, has been suspended for ‘complicity’.
The coach, who trained multiple Asian medallist Gulveer Singh, was suspended under the NADA anti-doping rule violation. The latest update on NADA website read, “Complicity or Attempted Complicity by an Athlete or Other Person Assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, conspiring, covering up or any other type of intentional complicity or Attempted complicity involving an anti-doping rule violation…”
The coach also was credited with coaching Kartik Kumar, another long distance runner, who won silver at the 2023 Asian Games. This is not the first time an athletics coach has been suspended by the NADA. Earlier, a junior national coach was suspended but was reinstated after a hearing by NADA last year. In a high profile case, Mickey Menezes was banned for four years for violating Anti-Doping Rule 2021. Another coach was suspended for “Trafficking or Attempted Trafficking of Prohibited Substances”.
Once again, athletics tops the charts with seven athletes figuring in the latest list updated on 01.10.2026. There are three wrestlers and two weightlifters. Among athletes, Samir Deshmukh is a hammer thrower while Sakir Malik won silver in 1500m (at Federation Cup this year). What seems even more interesting is that shot putter Rahul Air won gold in Indian Athletics Series 11 with a modest distance of 15.54m and he was among two who participated at the event. He tested positive for metandienone and oxandrolone.
Same is the case of Amit Majumdar of West Bengal who won silver with a distance of just 62.1m in javelin throw at the same 11 series. He tested positive for steroid stanozolol. Middle distance runners Shiva Tomar and Aditya Patial, junior quarter miler Mehardeep Kaur were the others.
Wrestlers Sushant Ambaji Tambulkar and Avinash were banned for testing positive for steroids while Chirag’s was a whereabouts failure. There is a minor weightlifter on the new list for evasion.