Let’s take a look at the dark side of Indian Sports and the athletes who were caught for doping offenses in 2022.
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Neeraj Chopra’s historical triumph at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 has carved the road for a new pathway for Track & Field events in India. Stars like Avinash Sable, Murali Sreeshankar, Eldhose Paul, Jeswin Aldrin, and Priyanka Goswami have already emerged. The National Games 2022 has witnessed new Games and National records established in Athletic disciplines in Gujarat. However, there are always two sides to the same coin. While Neeraj’s performance has encouraged many athletes to leave a lasting impact on the international or national levels, there were also a few who opted to choose shortcuts in order to reach their destination. But, how long can one succeed using that route? Let’s take a look at the dark side of Indian Sports and the athletes who were caught for doping offenses in 2022.
Shivpal, who competed alongside Neeraj Chopra in the Tokyo Olympics 2020, tested positive for the banned substance methandienone. As per Sportstar, the javelin thrower was tested by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) on September 26, 2021, a month after the Olympic Games. The athlete who started his suspension spell in October 2021 has now been suspended till October 2025. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) tried to conceal the doping violation for months. Shivpal had registered his personal best of 86.23 during the Asian Athletics Championships 2019 in Doha.
Kamalpreet rose to fame during the Tokyo Olympics 2020 when she qualified for the final in the discus throw, finishing second overall with a throw of 64.00m. She then ended her campaign with a credible sixth-place finish, with the best effort of 63.70. But, the discus thrower, on March 29, 2022, tested positive for the prohibited substance stanozolol, stated in the World Athletics anti-doping rules. As a result of which, she has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
Quarter-miler M R Poovamma who has won numerous medals in the Asian Games and Asian Championships has been banned for two years by the Anti-Doping Appeal Panel (ADAP). The athlete had tested positive for an illegal substance named Methylhexaneamine during a test held in Patiala. Owing to this, Poovamma has been ousted from the upcoming editions of the Asian Games, World Championships, and Asian Athletics Championships.
Sprinter Dhanalakshmi Sekar tested positive for the performance-enhancing steroid, methandienone during a dope test conducted by AIU of the World Athletics. She defeated Hima Das twice in 100m and 200m races held in Turkey and participated in four meets in June. After testing positive for the substance, she was banned for four years and the performances from May are now considered null or void. However, the Indian athlete admitted to committing the offense, because of which her ban was decreased by a year.
Another Discus thrower Navjeet Kaur tested positive for anabolic steroids in an out-of-competition doping test conducted by the AIU before the World Championships Oregon 2022. Navjeet who had a season’s best of 58.03m came up with the best effort of 53.51m in Birmingham 2022. She had clinched a gold in the Qosanov Memorial Meet held in Almaty, Kazakhstan in June.
Aishwarya Babu tested positive for a banned substance during an examination conducted by the NADA at the Inter-State Meet in Chennai. Her performance at the meet shocked everyone as she broke a decade-old record set by Mayookah Johny in the triple jump event with a giant leap of 14.14m.
Besides these prominent athletes, Former national record holder in Javelin throw Rajender Singh, Warangal National Open 2021 gold medalists Taranjeet Kaur, and K. Naresh Kumar have tested positive for prohibited substances this year. Among the para-athletes, Aneesh Kumar and powerlifter Geeta (anabolic steroid) have failed the doping test. NADA officials had found samples of diuretics and masking agent Hydrochlorothiazide in Kumar’s body.
