List of Indian athletes banned for doping in 2023

Some tier-A names feature on the list.

2023 has not started on a positive note (in terms of doping) with many Indian athletes banned for testing positive for prohibited substances. Two-time Commonwealth Games champion Sanjita Chanu is the recent entrant to the list. Dutee Chand was the first to be reported this year for doping followed by Dipa Karmakar (duration of suspension).

List of Indian athletes banned for doping in 2023

Sanjita Chanu

Two-time Weightlifting Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sanjita Chanu was handed a four-year ban by NADA (National Anti-Doping Agency) after testing positive for a banned anabolic steroid Drostanolone Metabolite (which also features in the prohibited list of World Anti-Doping Agency). The test was conducted during the 2022 National Games (September-October) in Gujarat.

The 28-year-old was also previously suspended by the IWF (International Weightlifting Federation) after testing positive for testosterone on 30 May 2018. In 2020 she was cleared after the charge was dropped.

Dipa Karmakar

Rio Olympian Dipa Karmakar was handed a 21-month ban for failing a dope test conducted by the International Testing Agency. As reported by TOI, “Karmakar’s dope sample collected out-of-competition by the ITA, an independent organization that manages the anti-doping programme of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) was found to contain Higenamine, which is a prohibited substance under World Anti Doping Agency code.”

Dipa became a wonder girl after her performance at the Rio Olympics by finishing in fourth place. She was behind the podium places by just 0.15 points but went on to perform a difficult Produnova vault.

Dutee Chand

The 100m women's national record holder Dutee Chand failed an out-of-competition test conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) on December 5. She was informed by NADA about the adverse analytical finding and provisionally suspended on January 3.

As reported by Hindustan Times, “Chand’s sample tested positive for banned anabolic agents andarine, enobosarm and ligandrol. The class of substance comes under Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs) in WADA prohibited list and can lead to a ban for four years”

“SARMs is a class of therapeutic compounds that have similar anabolic properties to anabolic steroids, but with reduced androgenic (producing male characteristics) properties, says an explanation on the United States Anti-doping Agency (USADA) website. It is a type of supplement that helps build muscle mass and burn fat.”

Others

According to a report from TOI, Close to 10 athletes from weightlifting, athletics, wrestling, cycling, judo, football, wushu and lawn bowls were banned for failing dope tests. Their urine samples were taken during the National Games in Gujarat.

These athletes returned positive for doping, including high-end drugs like methenolone, methandienone, stanozolol, and methandienone - all anabolic steroids. The samples of the athletes were taken during the 36th National Games by the NADA (National Anti Doping Agency).

Among those who failed the dope test are Veerjeet Kaur (Weightlifting), Diandra Valladares (Athletics), Deepanshu (Wrestling), Ravi Rajpal (Wrestling), Viknesh (Footballer), Soumen Banerjee (Lawn Bowl), Harshit Namdeo (Wushu), Navroop Kaur (Judo), Roobalpreet Singh (cycling).

Kashish Malik (Taekwondo) is banned for two years after being found guilty of doping in an out of competition test.