Asian Games medallist Kiran fails dope test, Punia missing from latest list of suspended athletes

New Delhi: Asian Games bronze-winner shot-putter Kiran Baliyan has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) for testing positive for a banned substance as a slew of athletes across sports figured in the latest list of dope offenders.

Surprisingly, Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia's name is missing from the latest update though he figured in a previous list issued by the NADA recently.

The NADA had, on June 23, suspended Punia for a second time, three weeks after its Anti-Disciplinary Doping panel (ADDP) had revoked his suspension on the grounds that he was not served a "notice of charge" by the national body.

NADA had on April 23 suspended the Tokyo Olympics bronze-medallist wrestler for his refusal to give his urine sample for dope test during the selection trials held in Sonepat on March 10. The sport's global governing body United Wrestling World (UWW) had also suspended him.

Bajrang, who, along with Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, spearheaded a long protest against ousted Wrestling Federation of India President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for allegedly sexually harassing women grapplers, had appealed against the provisional suspension and the ADDP had revoked it on May 31 till NADA issues the notice of charge.

The 25-year-old Baliyan, who had become only the second Indian to win a medal in women's shot put in the Asian Games at Hangzhou last year, returned positive for metandienone, an anabolic androgenic steroid banned at all times.

She had won gold at the 2023 National Inter-State Championships and a silver in the 2024 Federation Cup. She stares at a maximum ban period of four years, if she is proven guilty.

Hammer thrower Manju Bala, who had won a bronze in 2014 Incheon Asian Games, also figured in the list. She tested positive for dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone (steroid) and SARMS LGD-4033 (ligandrol).

Shalini Chaudhary, who won silver at the Federation Cup this year, also tested positive for the steroid metandienone. Long-distance runner Chavi Yadav tested positive for drostanolone, an anabolic-androgenic steroid.

Other top Indian track and field athletes like javelin thrower D P Manu, quarter-miler Deepanshi and middle-distance runner Parvej Khan have been serving provisional suspensions.

In wrestling, 2023 U20 World Championships bronze medallist Arju tested positive for stanozolol.

Badminton makes a rare entry with doubles player Krishna Prasad Garaga, a member of the Indian team that won gold in 2022 Thomas Cup, testing positive for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG).

Wushu players T Menaka Devi, Manjinder Singh and Goutam Sharma figured in the list as the sport has seen a surge in doping cases recently.

Bhupendra Singh Byadwal (pencak silat), Ashish Phugat (rowing) and Ribason Singh Ningthoujam (canoe) are also among those who have been provisionally suspended by the NADA.