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Two-time Commonwealth Games champion Indian weightlifter Sanjita Chanu has been handed a four-year ban by the National Anti Doping Agency's (NADA) Disciplinary Panel for failing a dope test last year.
The 29-year-old had tested positive for an anabolic steroid -- Drostanolone Metabolite -- that features in the World Anti-doping Agency's (WADA) prohibited list. Her dope sample was collected in-competition on September 30, 2022 during the National Games in Gujarat last year.
".... it is held that the Athlete has violated Article 2.1 & 2.2 of the NADA ADR, 2021, she is hereby sanctioned with an ineligibility of four (04) years as per Article 10.2.1 of the NADA ADR, 2021," the three-member NADA Anti-Doping Disciplinary panel headed by Chaitanya Mahajan said in the order.
Sanjita's ban will commence from November 12, 2022, the date of her provisional suspension.
"The period of ineligibility shall commence from the date of provisional suspension i.e,12.11.2022. It shall be noted that the athlete has failed to satisfy the panel that the ADRV was non-intentional as per Article 10.2.1.1 of the NADA ADR, 2023."
This a is a huge setback for Sanjita, who will be stripped of the National Games silver medal as a result of the positive test.
"As per Article 10.10 of the NADA ADR, 2021, the athlete is hereby disqualified of all of the individual results obtained in the said Event with all Consequences, including forfeiture of all medals, points and prizes since 30-09-2022," the order, dated March 31, read.
Sanjita, who represented herself in the disciplinary panel hearings, could not be reached for her comments.
Sanjita had won gold in 48kg ahead of Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. At the 2018 edition of the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, she was crowned champion in the 53kg category.
The Manipuri has the option to appeal against the decision of the disciplinary panel. She can do that by approaching to the appeals panel of the NADA within 21 days from the date of receipt of the decision.
During the hearing, Sanjita had denied intentionally taking any prohibited substance and submitted that she had taken all due care and caution while consuming food and supplements.
The panel said that "the present case appears to be a case of systematic doping where the prohibited substance was used by the athlete".
"In the absence of any medical evidence that the athlete has consumed such prohibited substance through adulterated food, supplement or medicine, the only reasonable conclusion (is) that the athlete has intentionally consumed the said prohibited substance to enhance strength and power," the panel, which also has former India hockey forward Jagbir Singh and R K Arya as its members, ruled.
It is not the first time that the 2011 Asian Championship bronze medallist finds herself embroiled in a dope controversy.
She had been banned by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) in 2018 after she tested positive for anabolic steroid testosterone prior to the World Championships in the US in November 2017.
In 2020, the world body, however, dropped the doping charge against Sanjita due to "non-conformities" in the handling of her sample.
"I have been in this situation before. But I am not able to understand how this has happened. Since that incident (relating to IWF), I have been very careful about my diet and everything. I check my supplements carefully and ask if they are free of all dope," she had told PTI in January after she failed the dope test for which she has been handed four-year ban.