Discus thrower Navjeet Kaur Dhillon in dope net

Vinayak Padmadeo

New Delhi, August 26

In another embarrassing development, discus thrower Navjeet Kaur Dhillon has been caught in the dope net.

Dhillon, who finished seventh at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, has been sanctioned after an out-of-competition test showed traces of testosterone.

The Punjab athlete, though, maintained that she did not fail any dope test. The 27-year-old also claimed that she did not receive any provisional suspension letter from either the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) or the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).

“I have not received any such letter. This is a big shock to me. This is the first time I am hearing about this,” Dhillon told The Tribune.

However, multiple sources, including Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla, have confirmed that the discus thrower has flunked a dope test. It is understood that her samples were taken during a training stint in Antalya, Turkey, in May.

“We have zero tolerance for doping,” Sumariwalla said. “The AFI is working closely with NADA and AIU to try and eradicate the use of prohibited substances by athletes. I have made it clear that no one can escape, however big the athlete may be,” he added. “It is upon the athletes to prove their innocence to NADA and AIU, which are independent and autonomous bodies,” he added.