National Games gold winner Gagandeep Singh banned for doping

National Games discus throw champion Gagandeep Singh has been banned for three years by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) after testing positive for testosterone metabolites.

The Services athlete, who claimed gold with a throw of 55.01m at the Uttarakhand National Games on February 12, will also be stripped of his medal.

Haryana’s Nirbhay Singh (54.07m) is set to be upgraded to gold, while Kerala’s Alex Thankachan (52.79m) is expected to move up to silver.

According to a PTI report, the 30-year-old’s ban which began on February 19 was reduced from the maximum four years to three under the case resolution agreement outlined in Articles 10.8 and 8.3 of the NADA Anti-Doping Rules 2021.

This provision allows first-time offenders to receive a one-year reduction if they admit their violation and accept the sanction within 20 days of being charged.

Two other track and field athletes, Sachin Kumar (ban starting February 10) and Jainu Kumar (ban starting February 20), have also received three-year suspensions under the same provisions.

NADA’s latest sanctions list also features athletes from various sports found guilty of doping offences.

These include judokas Monika Choudhary and Nandani Vats (both for metandienone), para powerlifters Umeshpal Singh (stanozolol) and Samuel Vanlaltanpuia (metandienone), weightlifter Kavinder (metandienone), kabaddi player Shubham Kumar (norandrosterone), wrestler Mugali Sharma (stanozolol, clenbuterol), and wushu players Aman (norandrosterone, stanozolol) and Rahul Tomar (drostanolone, mephentermine), along with one minor wrestler.

Most of these athletes had already been provisionally suspended earlier this year. The latest actions reinforce NADA’s strict stance against doping, while also promoting expedited case resolutions for those who cooperate early.