Javelin thrower Manu banned for four years

NEW DELHI: Asian championships silver medallist javelin thrower DP Manu has been handed a four-year ban by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for returning positive for prohibited substance methyltestosterone.
Manu was tested during the Indian GP athletics meet in Bengaluru in April 2023 after winning the title with a throw of 81.91m. His sample showed traces of anabolic-androgenic steroid and he was provisionally suspended by NADA.
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Methyltestosterone in sports is particularly used for increasing muscle mass and enhancing performance. Manu’s four-year ban will commence retrospectively from June 24, 2024, after the NADA’s anti-doping disciplinary panel (ADDP) recently announced its verdict.
The 25-year-old Manu was poised to qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024 through world ranking quota but missed out on competing alongside Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Jena due to the positive result. The former national champion’s career-best throw thus far has been 84.35m, which he achieved in Chennai in June 2022.
The ADDP has sanctioned athletes in other sports as well, imposing ban periods ranging from two to six years, including women’s relay specialist Simarjeet Kaur.
Simarjeet has represented the country in several 400m, 4x400m and 4x400m mixed relay meets with her season’s best in 400m recorded at 56.83s. She has been banned for four years, with her ineligibility period commencing retrospectively from April 29, 2024. Her sample returned adverse analytical finding (AAF) for an anabolic steroid.
Similarly, former junior national hammer-throw champion Nitesh Poonia has been handed a two-year ineligibility starting from Dec 31, 2024 after traces of diuretic substance were found in his sample.
In wrestling, leading greco-roman grappler Narinder Cheema, who had represented the country at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 and finished ninth, has been banned for two years starting May 22, 2024, after his sample returned positive for an anabolic steroid.
Cheema has been a regular member of the Indian wrestling contingent at the international meets, competing in the 97kg category.
The ADDP also banned kickboxer Ravinder Singh for four years, starting April 3, 2024. Singh has represented the country at several World and Asian championship meets. Woman boxer Rekha has been sanctioned for two years from March 13, 2025, for the use of an anabolic steroid.