Kiran Baliyan, the Asian Games bronze medalist shot-putter, has been temporarily suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) after testing positive for a banned drug, joining a wave of athletes from several sports on the newest list of doping offenders. Surprisingly, Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia’s name is missing from the newest update, despite appearing on a prior list provided by the NADA lately. On June 23, the NADA suspended Punia for the second time, three weeks after its Anti-Disciplinary Doping Panel (ADDP) lifted his suspension because he had not.
On April 23, NADA banned the Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist wrestler for refusing to provide a urine sample for a drug test at the selection trials conducted in Sonepat on March 10. The sport’s worldwide governing body, United Wrestling World (UWW), has also suspended him.
Bajrang, who, along with Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, led a long protest against ousted Wrestling Federation of India President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for allegedly sexually harassing female wrestlers, appealed against the provisional suspension, which the ADDP revoked on May 31 until NADA issued the notice of charge.
The 25-year-old Baliyan, who became only the second Indian to win a medal in women’s shot put at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year, tested positive for methandienone, an anabolic androgenic steroid that is banned at all times.
She earned gold in the 2023 National Inter-State Championships and silver in the 2024 Federation Cup. She faces a possible four-year suspension if found guilty. Hammer thrower Manju Bala, who won bronze at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, was also included on the list. She tested positive for dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone (steroid) and the SARMS LGD-4033 (ligandrol).
Shalini Chaudhary, who won silver in the Federation Cup this year, also tested positive for the steroid metandienone. Chavi Yadav, a long-distance runner, tested positive for anabolic-androgenic steroids, including drostanolone.
Other prominent Indian track and field sportsmen, including javelin thrower D P Manu, quarter-miler Deepanshi, and middle-distance runner Parvej Khan, have been serving temporary sanctions. Arju, who won the bronze medal in the 2023 U20 World Championships in wrestling, tested positive for stanozolol.
Badminton makes an unusual appearance with doubles player Krishna Prasad Garaga, a member of the Indian squad that won gold at the 2022 Thomas Cup, testing positive for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG). Wushu athletes T Menaka Devi, Manjinder Singh, and Goutam Sharma were included on the list since the sport has lately witnessed an increase in doping incidents.
The NADA has also placed Bhupendra Singh Byadwal (pencak silat), Ashish Phugat (rowing), and Ribason Singh Ningthoujam (canoe) under temporary suspension. PTI PDS AM PDS AM AM.