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According to a source in the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), a prominent female sprinter from a southern state of the country has been found positive for a prohibited substance. Although specific information such as the substance's name and the testing date are still undisclosed, it is understood that the sprinter, who recently participated in the Federation Cup in Ranchi in May and was unable to attend the Inter-state meet in Bhubaneswar in June due to an injury, has been provisionally suspended.
The AFI included her name, along with five other sprinters, in the official entry list for the 4x100m relay event at the Asian Athletics Championships. This decision was made despite those names not being mentioned in the initial press statement that announced the 54-member team. However, the AFI later decided to withdraw the 4x100m relay squad, which is a setback to their plans of fielding a women's relay team for the Asian Games.
Third player gets banned in Indian track and field events
This recent news comes after other top female sprinters were also suspended after testing positive for banned substances.
Last year, Dhanalakshmi Sekar gained significant attention in Indian athletics by defeating prominent sprinters Hima Das and Dutee Chand in the 100m and 200m races. Unfortunately, she faced a setback in May when she tested positive for a banned substance during an out-of-competition test. Despite her previous qualification for the Tokyo Olympics and her inclusion in both the World Athletics Championships in Oregon and Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, the doping offense had a devastating impact on the talented sprinter. The substance detected in her sample was metandienone, a prohibited steroid known for its performance-enhancing effects.
India's fastest female runner and the reigning 100m national champion Dutee Chand was also put under provisional suspension after testing positive for prohibited substances. Dutee was an Asian Games silver medalist and a three-time bronze medalist at the Asian Championships.
