When it comes to doping suspensions, India is beginning to look like Kenya. Stories have come to the fore about Indian athletes fleeing track meets before doping control officers arrive.
The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) of India has suspended several junior athletes as well as their coach.
Junior National Athletics coach Ramesh Nagapuri and Karamveer Singh (Judo/Athletics) were suspended for a charge called, “complicity.”
Ramesh, the current junior national coach has been suspended for violation of Article 2.9 of the National Anti-Doping Rules. Article 2.9 states that assisting or encouraging an athlete to take prohibited substances comes under the violation of anti-doping rules.
The article, which comes under the complicity subsection of NADA’s rules states: “Assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, conspiring, covering up or any other type of intentional complicity along with attempted complicity involving an anti-doping rule violation.”
Ramesh is the coach of 100-metre sprinter Dutee Chand. Chand is currently serving a four-year ban for doping.
He was suspended after he allegedly helped athletes evade the NADA officials from the Sports Authority of India. The Hyderabad Center was where athletes were training. Officials came to collect samples of the athletes’ training there.
Two other athletes escaped before officials arrived.
The list does not clarify the specifics of the period of suspension.
It is a rare occurrence to see Indian coaches suspended by NADA for doping charges related to their athletes. In the past, NADA has suspended only two coaches due to their involvement in doping. In 2022, Mumbai-based athletics coach Mickey Menezes was banned for injecting a prohibited substance into his athlete. Judo coach Naresh Arya was banned in 2024 for obstructing a NADA official from collecting samples of his athletes. He was also charged with assaulting the official.
On April 12, Indian javelin thrower DP Manu was handed a four-year suspension by NADA. He tested positive for a banned substance during the Indian Grand Prix athletics meet in Bengaluru last year.
At the time of the positive test, the 25-year-old was in the running for a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics via world rankings.
According to the Athletics Integrity Unit’s list of globally ineligible athletes, 70 Indians are serving bans for doping-related offences. There are 125 Kenyans currently serving suspensions.
