CHENNAI: Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist Kiran Baliyan figures among some of the top athletes who have tested positive for banned substances and have been provisionally suspended. This has been updated on the website of the National Anti-Doping Agency provisional suspension list as on 11.09.2024.
Interestingly, the name of wrestler Bajrang Punia, who went to court against the NADA provisional suspension, does not figure in the updated list. His name was present in the previous list. In wrestling, young former U23 world championships medallist up and coming grappler, Arju tested positive for stanozolol during an out of competition test.
Kiran, who won India’s shot put medal at the Asian Games, tested positive for metandienone, an anabolic androgenic steroid, banned at all times under World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list. The NADA website shows that her samples were collected during the Federation Senior National Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar. She finished second behind Abha Khatua in the final. According to WADA Code. Steroid usualy offence attracts a four-year ban.
Manju Bala, Incheon Asian Games medallist in hammer throw, too, figures on the list. She, according to NADA, has tested positive for dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone (steroid); SARMS LGD-4033 (ligandrol). Her sample, according to NADA, was collected in June in Charu (out of competition) and again during competition at the Senior Inter-state national athletics meet in Panchkula, where she had won gold. Top national 3000m steeplechase women athlete Chhavi Yadav (the NADA document spells the name as Chavi) tested positive for drostanolone, an AAS, and attracts four-year ban.
Parvej Khan, who shone at the NCAA in the US and had topped during the inter-state senior nationals in Panchkula too is on the list. As reported by this newspaper, he tested positive for Erythropoietin (EPO). This, along with Darbepoetin (dEPO) seem to be the favoured substance used by the long distance runners. Another athlete who has been listed is javelin thrower DP Manu (already been reported). He tested positive for methyltestosterone and faces four-year suspension. Shalini Chaudhary, who won silver at the Federation athletics meet, tested positive for the steroid metandienone. Quarte miler Deepanshi, middle distance runer Parvej Kan and host of other names figure on the list.
The updated provisional list of NADA has thrown up a name in badminton, a sport that is considered clean. Krishna Prasad Garaga an international shuttler, who plays doubles tested positive for HCG Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG). This is rare and is banned by WADA for male athletes as it helps produce testosterone.
There are quite a few names in other sports as well. Wushu seems to be the sport that has suddenly seen more positive doping cases. T Menaka Devi, Goutam Sharma are some of the names and their trusted substance is mephentermine (stimulant) and is banned by the WADA. Once again athletics, weightlifting and wrestling are the most tainted sports as per the list.