DP Manu stopped by NADA from competing at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships

National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) asks the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to stop javelin thrower DP Manu from competing in the 63rd National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships. The tournament currently underway in Panchkula, Haryana, had the javelin thrower registered on the initial list. However, to a surprise, Manu’s name was off the updated roster.

The 24-year-old is among the top prospects to qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024 behind Tokyo 2020 champion Neeraj Chopra and Asian Games silver medallist Kishore Jena, who have already secured their berth through quota places.

In a conversation with PTI, AFI President Adille Sumariwalla confirmed the development, stating that NADA had instructed them to stop Manu from competing. However, details of the alleged violation are still unclear.

“There could be something like that, but we still don’t know what is the actual thing. There was a phone call to the AFI office (from the NADA) yesterday that he (Manu) be stopped from competitions. Otherwise, there are no details (on what kind of possible violation). I think the athlete (DP Manu) is finding out from the NADA what is the exact thing,” said Adille Sumariwalla (via Sportstar).

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DP Manu’s Paris Olympics 2024 aspirations in doubts

DP Manu is currently ranked 15th in the Road to Paris rankings and is on the verge of qualification once the final list comes out after the cut-off date of June 30. However, this recent development of NADA stopping Manu from competing in the inter-state competition could also jeopardize his Olympic hopes. This setback could prove to be a significant blow to India's athletics team.

Manu's impressive performances, including a second-place finish behind Neeraj Chopra in the Federation Cup with a throw of 82.06m and a gold medal in the Taiwan Athletics Open with a throw of 81.58m, had made him a strong contender for the Olympics.