Asian Games silver medallist athlete Kartik Kumar suspended for doping

Asian Games silver medallist Kartik Kumar has been provisionally suspended for doping after testing positive for a cocktail of banned substances. Kartik, who trains in Colorado Springs with coach Scott Simmons, underwent out-of-competition testing by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in February and March. His samples were tested in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City laboratories, revealing the presence of stanozolol, an anabolic steroid, and high levels of testosterone.

Kartik has returned to India after receiving the provisional suspension. It’s unclear whether he’ll request a ‘B’ sample test. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) confirmed Kartik’s suspension and stated that action will be taken according to AFI rules and protocols, said AFI spokesperson and former president Adille Sumariwalla on Saturday.

At the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, Kartik won a silver medal in the men’s 10,000-m race, while Gulveer Singh bagged the bronze medal. These were the Asian Games medals for India since Gulab Chand’s bronze medal finish at the 1998 edition of the Games in Bangkok.

This incident follows a string of doping cases among Indian athletes, including sprinters Himani Chandel, and long-distance runners Archana Jadhav, Pradhan Kirulkar, and Vivek More. Javelin thrower Manu DP was also provisionally suspended before the Paris Olympics.