Athletics Integrity Unit sanctions 108 Indian athletes for doping and non-doping violations 

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has sanctioned 108 Indian athletes for doping and non-doping violations. India is second on the list of sanctions only behind Kenya’s 119. Russia and China are third and fourth on the list with 73 and 26, respectively. Overall, the AIU has sanctioned 481 athletes from all over the world.

Some of the Indians on the list are Dutee Chand, Kamalpreet Kaur, Kamaljeet Kaur, Suraj Gupta, Ali Farman, Varsha Devi, Anjali Devi, Lavish Bansal, Ritesh Arjun Ethape, Sandra Ajimon Shiny, Richa Bhadauriya, Shalu Chaudhary, Priya Mridha, and others.

In January 2023, Chand was provisionally suspended after testing positive for three Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs). Two years later, on January 3, she was informed that she tested positive in an out-of-competition dope test on December 5, 2022.

In October 2022, discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur was banned from competition for three years for doping violations. She tested positive for stanozolol, a steroid banned by the World Athletics. Kaur had also represented India in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

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The Athletics Integrity Unit suspends runner Archana Jadhav

On January 8, the Athletics Integrity Unit suspended runner Archana Jadhav, who finished fourth in the Delhi half marathon in October last year.

Archana was said to have consumed a prohibited substance named, Oxandrolone, an androgen and synthetic anabolic steroid (AAS), which promotes weight gain and helps in recovery.

“The AIU has provisionally suspended Archana Laxman Jadhav (India) for Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Oxandrolone),” the AIU wrote in a statement on Tuesday night (October 7) without divulging further information.

In the half marathon, with a timing of 1:20.21, Jadhav finished behind Lili Das (1:18.12), Kavita Yadav (1:19.44), and Priti Lamba (1:20.20). She also participated in the 63rd National Open Athletics Championships in 2023 and Indian U20 Championships in the same year.