Caught in dope net, Indian hockey goalie gets 2-year ban

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 19

Indian hockey goalkeeper Akash Chitke has been banned for two years for testing positive for a banned steroid. A trace of nandrolone, which is an androgenic anabolic steroid, was found in his sample taken on February 27, 2018. The goalkeeper was put on provisional suspension from March 27.

In his plea before the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), Chitke claimed he was prescribed an injection by a doctor after he injured the index finger of his left foot. The NADA counsel countered this claim on three counts: one, Chitke did not disclose to the doctor that he was a sportsperson to ensure he was not prescribed a banned medicine; two, he failed to obtain the Therapeutic Use of Exemption from NADA; three, he did not disclose the use of medicine in the dope control form when the sample was taken.

However, the ADDP panel concluded that the violation was not ‘intentional’. Hence, he was handed a two-year suspension rather than the four-year ban, a standard suspension for steroid violation.

Two banned from Punjab

Besides Chitke, six athletes were handed suspensions ranging from one to four years. Two athletes from Punjab were suspended for four years as their samples taken during the All India Police Athletics Championships 2017 showed traces of banned substances. Jalandhar’s Baljit Kaur’s sample had traces of banned stimulant mephentermine; while Kapurthala’s Simarjit Kaur tested positive for meldonium, a performance enhancing drug.

Amit, a wrestler, was banned for four years for testing positive for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. Pradeep Kumar, a kabaddi player, was suspended for one year. 

However, Saurabh Singh was banned for four years; his sample showed the presence of norandrostone, an anabolic steroid. Also, weightlifter Narayan Singh was handed a four-year suspension after his sample showed traces of Stanozolol.