On May 2, 2020, Discus thrower Sandeep Kumari, 27 years old, has been given a 4-year ban by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after failing a drug test, despite her sample previously being deemed clear by the National Dope Test Laboratory (NDTL).
Key Points:
i.The NDTL had failed to detect the banned substance a steroid which was present in her blood sample, collected by NDTL officials during the Inter-State Championships in June 2018, in Guwahati, Assam where Kumari had won the gold with a throw of 58.41 meters in the competition.
ii.The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) then decided to test the sample of Kumari at its Montreal Laboratory in Canada and it returned positive for anabolic steroid metenolone in November 2018.
iii.Kumari’s results from June 26, 2018 to November 21, 2018 will now be annulled (invalid) and her 4-year ban will begin from June 26, 2018- the date of her sample collection.
iv.The samples of 4 other Indians, including 2017 Asian champion quarter-miler Nirmala Sheoran had returned negative at NDTL but were found positive when tested in Montreal. Jhuma Khatun, one of them, was also handed a four-year ban in March 2020.
v.WADA referred Kumari’s results management to the AIU (Athletics Integrity Unit) which notified her of the charges & provisionally suspended her in November 2018.
vi.The Haryana athlete Kumari waived her right for the confirmatory ‘B’ sample test and accepted the adverse analytical finding (AAF).
vii.In February 2020, the AIU issued a notice of charge to Kumari, asking her to either admit the ADRV (Anti-Doping Rule Violations) or undergo a hearing before the Disciplinary Tribunal.
viii.After missing three deadlines to respond, Kumari finally accepted the charge and did not request a hearing.
About WADA:
Headquarters– Montreal, Canada.
President– Witold Bańka.
