Rohit returns with silver, only to find he has failed dope test

NEW DELHI: Promising javelin thrower Rohit Yadav has tested positive for banned substance stanozolol. Yadav, a 2016 World School Games gold medallist, has been put under provisional suspension by the anti-doping watchdog after his ‘A’ sample returned positive for the anabolic steroid.

Javelin thrower Rohit Yadav had returned home to a rapturous welcome a couple of days back after clinching a silver medal in the Asian Youth Athletics Championship in Bangkok. PTI

Sabi Hussain

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 26

Promising javelin thrower Rohit Yadav has tested positive for banned substance stanozolol. In another big catch for the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) after 400m hurdler Jithin Paul was found in possession of meldonium, Yadav, a 2016 World School Games gold medallist, has been put under provisional suspension by the anti-doping watchdog after his ‘A’ sample returned positive for the anabolic steroid.

Yadav, 16, who clinched a silver medal at the second Asian Youth Athletics Championships in Bangkok, has been given time until next week to get his confirmatory ‘B’ sample tested. The athlete from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh is facing the prospect of getting banned for four years for his first-time doping offence. He would have to appear before a NADA disciplinary panel to prove his innocence.

Yadav set a new meet record with a personal-best throw of 76.11m to clinch the gold medal in the 14th National Youth Athletics Championships in Hyderabad last month. Yadav’s urine sample was collected by the NADA team during the Hyderabad meet on April 23 after he won the gold, the report of which came on Wednesday.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has been notified about Yadav’s failed dope test. NADA has told AFI to ask the javelin thrower, who returned from Bangkok yesterday, to leave the national camp at NIS, Patiala.

When NADA Director General Navin Agarwal was approached for confirmation, he admitted that another track and field athlete has indeed been caught for doping, but refused to reveal his identity.

“Yes, an athlete’s ‘A’ sample has returned positive for a banned substance. AFI and the athlete have been informed about it and the due procedure would be followed,” Agarwal told The Tribune.

AFI issues notice to coaches

Meanwhile, AFI has issued notices to chief coach Bahadur Singh, deputy chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair and others for keeping the federation in the dark about Paul’s case.

“We have asked them to explain how Paul got hold of meldonium and why they didn’t inform the AFI about NADA’s surprise check at NIS. When we had routinely asked the coaches about the camp, they said ‘everything is fine’. We got to know about Paul’s dope test through media reports. The coaches could face the sanctions from AFI,” claimed a top AFI official.