CHENNAI: After a long wait, the Anti-Doping Appeal Panel on Friday lifted the provisional suspension of athletics coach Ramesh Nagapuri. The suspension was imposed on the coach by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) on June 18 last year.
Interestingly, Nagapuri's first request to revoke the suspension was rejected on July 3, 2025. As per the latest ruling, the revocation has been done till the final disposal of the case by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel.
There was some difference of opinion between the members of the hearing panel with the majority of the view that the coach had not committed an anti-doping rule violation. The panel comprises Geetanjali Sharma, chairperson, Dr Rana Chengappa, medical member and Rani Rampal, sports member.
Doping control officer of the NADA accused the coach of assisting the athletes in evading the doping control test when they reached the GMC Balayogi Athletics Stadium in Hyderabad on December 2, 2024. Nagapuri was not only accused of instructing the athletes to leave the venue to evade the test but also not providing the contact details of athletes training under him.
The initial review of the potential Anti-Doping Rule violation was conducted on March 7, 2025. Based on the report submitted, it was found that the coach had violated Article 2.9 of the NADR 2021. Subsequently, a notification was issued to him on March 17, 2025. The coach denied the allegations but was provisionally suspended on June 18, 2025.
Parth Goswami, Nagapuri's lawyer, said his client has always upheld the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. "We have consistently maintained that Mr Ramesh Nagapuri has absolutely no role whatsoever in the present matter. The allegations levelled against him are entirely unfounded," Goswami said.
The lawyer affirmed the coach never advised the athletes to evade testing. "It is an admitted position that the two athletes in question independently evaded dope testing. Evasion, in itself, constitutes a serious Anti-Doping Rule Violation, attracting a potential four-year period of ineligibility. It is wholly illogical and incomprehensible to suggest that a coach would advise or encourage athletes to evade testing, particularly when the athletes were duly notified by the NADA officials."
Goswami believed that Nagapuri will eventually come out clean. "We are confident that, upon a fair and objective evaluation of the facts, these baseless allegations will not withstand scrutiny," he signed off.