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Indian quarter-miler M.R. Poovamma returned to the National Games 2023 after serving her doping ban imposed by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) in June last year. The Karnataka athlete competed in the women’s 4x400m relay final.
Starting the race for her state association, Poovamma gave a great start, leading the first lap. However, her teammates couldn’t capitalize on that and hence Karnataka finished fourth with a timing of 3:39.75s. Andhra Pradesh won gold after they clocked 3:37.94 while Tamil Nadu (3:38.53) and Kerala (3:38.79) took home silver and bronze medals, respectively.
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Poovamma’s two-year ban sanctioned by the NADA was set to end on June 15, 2024, after the Anti-Doping Appeal Panel’s (ADAP) decision to increase her suspension from three months to two years.
On June 16 this year, the NADA told the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) that the Karnataka-born quarter-miler was eligible to return to the track. She subsequently participated in the Sri Lankan National Championship in Diyagama in July. Later in September, the NADA restored the suspension duration, admitting the revocation of the ban was informed because of an error.
According to a Sportstar report, AFI president Adille Sumariwalla said that Poovama’s suspension was over as the 33-year-old participated in the 37th National Games.
Tanya Chaudhary breaks 22-year-old National Games record
Uttar Pradesh’s Tanya Chaudhary set a new National Games record in the women’s hammer throw event in Bambolin. She hurled the iron ball to a distance of 62.47m to bag the gold medal. The sprinter-turned-hammer thrower bettered the meet record of 61.59, which was held by Hardeep Kaur of Punjab since 2001.
Himachal Pradesh’s long-distance runner Seema added another gold medal in the women’s 5000m with 15:44.05s. Earlier in the National Games, she pipped Maharashtra’s Sanjivani Jadhav in the last lap of the women’s 10,000m race with a timing of 33:20.75s en route to winning gold.
