Long-distance runner Murali Gavit fails dope test, loses National Games medal

Cue sports star Bhaskar Balachandra also tested positive for doping.

Murali Gavit and Ajay Kumar have tested positive for banned substances from samples collected at the Goa National Games in October last year. Gavit, a seasoned athlete with a silver medal from the 2019 Doha Asian Athletics Championships and a gold medal from last year’s National Open Athletics in the 10,000 meters, tested positive for Erythropoietin (EPO). The drug boosts the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity, giving an unfair advantage in endurance sports.

The news of Gavit losing his silver medal at the Goa National Games due to doping has caused quite a stir, prompting the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to take immediate action. This incident is just one of many doping cases at the event, bringing the total number of athletes caught to a worrying 26. The problem of doping is not limited to just one sport.

Bhaskar Balachandra, a former world no 2, has also been caught using banned substances. This is a first for cue sports in India, shedding light on the widespread problem of doping in sports.

The Goa National Games have unfortunately become known for having the highest number of doping cases. Athletics has the most positive tests at ten, followed closely by weightlifting with seven. This increase in doping incidents raises concerns about the honesty of sports and the efficacy of anti-doping efforts.

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What is Erythropoietin? Prohibition?

Erythropoietin (EPO) belongs to a group known as Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents (ESAs). Clinically, it’s administered to treat conditions like anemia resulting from renal failure or cancer treatments, which lead to a decrease in red blood cells.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has consistently included EPO in its Prohibited List since 2004 due to its widespread misuse as a non-Specified Substance within the category of Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors.

EPO is infamous for its role in blood doping—a practice where athletes illicitly use methods or substances such as EPO to artificially boost their red blood cell count. It’s this potential for performance enhancement that has led to EPO’s common abuse in sports that demand high stamina.

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