NADA bans sprinter Dharambir Singh for eight years

Haryana sprinter Dharambir Singh in the third week of November 2016 was handed an eight-year ban by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).

As it was Singh’s second dope-related offence, the NADA Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel slapped him a lengthier ban of eight years.

Timeline

• Singh had returned positive for an anabolic steroid on 11 July 2016 in an in-competition test conducted by the NADA during the Indian Grand Prix meet. He had breached the 200m Olympics entry standard of 20.50 seconds by clocking 20.45 seconds.

• The 25-year old runner was earlier stripped of his gold medal won in the 100m race during the National inter-State Championships in 2012 for eluding a mandatory dope test.

About Dharambir Singh

• Dharambir Singh is an Indian male sprinter.

• In July 2016, he set a new national record for India when he won the 200 metres race at the Indian Grand Prix in Bengaluru. His time of 20.45 seconds was under the 20.50 seconds qualifying threshold for the 200 metres race in the 2016 Summer Olympics. With this, he became the first competitor for India to qualify for the 200 metres at the Olympics in 36 years.

• On 2 August 2016, he failed to board his flight to Rio de Janeiro, and was reported to have failed a drug test.