Sprinter, Asian Games medallist Dutee Chand faces four-year ban for doping

Dutee Chand was tested for selective androgen receptor modulators in December last year. Her ban period will be effective from January 3, 2023. This means she will be out of action till Jan 3, 2027

India sprinter Dutee Chand has been banned for four years after failing two out-of-competition dope tests. 

She was tested for selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) in December last year. Her ban period will be effective from January 3, 2023. This means she will be out of action till January 3, 2027. 

The ban would also mean that she has to forfeit her medals, points and prizes from the date her sample was collected, which was December 5, 2022. 

"All the competitive results obtained by the athlete from the date of her sample collection shall stand disqualified,"  the Anti Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP)chairperson, Chaitanya Mahajan, said in its order, as reported by Times of India.

The Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel order also stated that it was satisfied with the athlete's explanation on the source of ingestion of the prohibited substance. However, Dutee could not establish that no significant fault or negligence occurred on her part.

In a detailed order, the disciplinary panel also listed the reasons for the severe punishment, saying the athlete failed to establish that the said anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) was unintentional. 

The panel listed the following reasons:

1. The athlete, instead of consulting a physician, allegedly consulted her physiotherapist and consumed the medicines prescribed by her.

2. The athlete did not check the label for the contents of the medicine she consumed. 

3. The athlete didn’t cross-check the contents of the drugs with the latest published lists of prohibited substances by WADA.

“The athlete has violated article 2.1 and 2.2 of the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA)... she is hereby sanctioned with an ineligibility period of four years as per article 10.2.1.1 of the NADA ADR 2021 beginning from the date of provisional suspension i.e. January 3, 2023,” the order added.

Dutee Chand achievements

*She won two Silver medals at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games in 100-metre and 200-metre racing events. 

*She is the fastest Indian woman athlete in the 100-metre sprint (11.17 seconds). She recorded the feat during the 2021 India Grand Prix in Patiala.