Rakhi Halder, Ajay Thakur provisionally suspended by NADA

Commonwealth Games gold medallist weightlifter Rakhi Halder and former India national team kabaddi captain Ajay Thakur have been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).

Rakhi Halder tested positive for a banned substance and has not been included in the Indian squad for this month’s Asian weightlifting championships in Tashkent.

Five sportspersons, including well-known weightlifter Rakhi Halder and kabaddi player Ajay Thakur, have been provisionally suspended last month for anti-doping rule violation.

Rakhi was tested out of competition, while Thakur failed in filing his whereabouts information, according to a newsletter issued by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).

Following her positive test, Rakhi was not included in the Indian squad for this month’s Asian weightlifting championships in Tashkent.

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Other athletes in this list include Greco Roman wrestler Manish, who was tested at the National championships in Jalandhar, and race walkers Sunil Vishwakarma (20km) and Vishvendra Singh (10km), who were tested in the National open race walking championships in Ranchi.

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Meanwhile, a NADA disciplinary panel has handed four years of ineligibility to Ankit Chhoker,  R. Madhavan (all weightlifting), Lenin Athokpam Meitei (fencing) and Ankit Shishodia (powerlifting) for different doping violations. Ruchika Chaudhary (boxing) has been suspended for two years.