12 suspended for anti-doping violations

Suspension periods of these athletes started between September 1 and December 13 last year.

NADA has taken the first step towards preparing Athlete Biological Passport.

Twelve more sportspersons have been handed suspension for four years by National Anti-Doping Agency’s Disciplinary Panel.

The Disciplinary Panel suspended N. Jankiraman, Balinder Singh, Gurdeep Singh, Akshatha Poojary, M.D. Raja, Mohit (powerlifting), Manjobanjeet Singh, Mangesh Bhagat (kabaddi), Nidhi More (wrestling), Harkirat Kaur, Manpreet Kaur (athletics) and Lok Chand (weightlifting) last month for various doping offences.

READ: NADA bans 14 sportspersons

Suspension periods of these athletes started between September 1 and December 13 last year.

Orders have been reserved in the cases of some other athletes, including quartermiler Priyanka Panwar, while anti-doping rule violation cases are going on against World championship bronze medal winning Greco Roman wrestler Sandeep Tulsi Yadav, Asian Games bronze medal-winning shot putter Inderjeet Singh and well-known football goalkeeper Subrata Paul .

Eight sportspersons, including Paul, have been provisionally suspended owing to different anti-doping violations. They include, Nisha (wrestling), Karnail Singh (powerlifting), Ashish Kumar, Baljinder Singh (weightlifting), Aayush (volleyball), Rajan Mamgai (boxing) and hurdler Jithin Paul (athletics; for alleged possession of banned substance meldonium).

The NADA Appeal Panel has reduced the period of ineligibility for boxer Vikas Singh from four to two years. It has upheld a four-year suspension against lifter Jaswant Singh.

Meanwhile, the NADA has taken the first step towards preparing Athlete Biological Passport by initiating a consultation process with various stakeholders.