The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), an independent agency started by World Athletics and granted full authority to oversee issues related to do with the World Anti-Doping Agency Code, has focused on Category-A countries like Kenya. Kenya has been in the spotlight due to excessive doping by its athletes. More recently, Ethiopian and Indian athletes have been receiving suspensions or bans for doping, Athlete Biological Passport blood value anomalies, evading doping control officers and other issues.
The latest is the three-year ban on Indian distance runner Varsha Tekam.
Twenty-five-year-old Tekam faced a provisional suspension for evading a doping test, according to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
The AIU provisionally suspended Tekam for “evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection by an athlete under Article 2.3.”
Last year, Tekam finished second in the Pune Half Marathon with a time of 1:26.22.
On June 3rd, she admitted guilt in a written statement to the AIU and has therefore received a ban. The standard four-year suspension was reduced to three years because she accepted fault.
“On the basis that the Athlete has admitted an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Rule 2.3 ADR, in accordance with Rule 10.3.1 ADR and the application of Rule 10.8.1 ADR, the AIU confirms by this decision the following Consequences for a first Anti-Doping Rule Violation:
20.1. a period of Ineligibility of three (3) years commencing on 20 May 2025 (the date of Provisional Suspension); and
20.2. disqualification of the Athlete’s results on and since 15 December 2024, with all resulting Consequences, including the forfeiture of any titles, awards, medals, points, prizes and appearance money.
- The Athlete has accepted the above Consequences for her Anti-Doping Rule Violation and has expressly waived her right to have those Consequences determined by the Disciplinary Tribunal at a hearing.
