Shot putter Karanveer Singh, discus thrower Kirpal among athletes handed bans by NADA

National Anti-Doping Agency’s (NADA) Disciplinary Panel has handed four-year bans to India's 26-year-old top shot putter Karanvir Singh, discuss thrower Kirpal Singh, and several other athletes across sports.

The NADA released the list of the athletes who were handed four-year bans by its disciplinary panel. Karanvir’s ban period began on July 26, 2023, while Kirpal's ban began on July 7, 2023. Both of them are among around 20 athletes across spots whose provisional suspensions were revealed by NADA in July 2023.

Karanveer had returned positive for methandienone and SARMS enobosarm. The shot putter was also pulled out of the Indian team for the Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok in July 2023. On the other hand, Kirpal had tested positive for stanozolol.

A look at the other athletes who were handed bans:

Malak Singh (rower; mephentermine): 4-year ban from June 27, 2023.

Akshay: (Judoka; methandienone): 4-year ban from May 2, 2023.

Hardeep Singh Brar (Judoka; SARMS LGD-4033, SARMS enobosarm): 4-year ban from June 20, 2023.

Mohsin Gulab Ali: (Judoka; SARMS enobosarm): 4-year ban from June 20, 2023.

Rahul Sevta: (Judoka; oxandrolone and stanozolol): 4-year ban from June 20, 2023.

Rohit Singh Tomar: (Kabaddi; metandienone): 4-year ban from June 5, 2023.

Durgesh Kumar: (Kabaddi; metandienone): 4-year ban from June 9, 2023.

Ranjeet Bhati (Para-athletics; dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone): 4-year-ban from June 5, 2023.

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Anurag Thakur urges Indian athletes to play fair at Paris 2024 Olympics

Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports, Anurag Thakur has called the Indian athletes, heading to the Paris 2024 Olympics, to play with integrity and fairness.

On Friday, February 9, Thakur was part of the Road to Paris 2024 event hosted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). He virtually unveiled the plaque to inaugurate the Centre for Excellence in Nutritional Supplements Testing for Sportspersons (CoE-NSTS) at the National Forensic Science University, Gandhinagar.

The CoE-NSTS is India’s first laboratory for screening nutritional supplements for contaminants listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited substances list. This step supports Indian athletes in accessing dope-free supplements.

“While we spend crores on athletes, one mistake by them can be a blot on not only themselves but also the country,” Thakur said at the event.