Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu But last year, the disciplinary panel of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) imposed a four-year ban for failing a dope test. Sanjita had tested positive for an anabolic steroid – Drostanolone metabolite, which is on the banned list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) during the National Games in Gujarat in September-October last year. His sample was taken for dope test on 30 September 2022 during the competition.
The NADA panel headed by Chaitanya Mahajan said in its report that it is held that Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu has violated Article 2.1 and 2.2 of the NADA ADR, 2021, therefore she has been fined four years as per Article 10.2.1 of the NADA ADR, 2021. (04) is banned for the year. Sanjita Chanu’s ban will start from 12 November 2022 when she was temporarily suspended.
According to the order, the period of suspension will be deemed to start from 12 November 2022, the date of temporary suspension. Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu failed to satisfy the Panel that the ADRV NADA was unintentional as per Article 10.2.1.1 of ADR 2023. This is a big blow for Sanjita. He had won a silver medal in the National Games which has been snatched away. His reaction could not be obtained on this new development. Sanjita won the gold medal in the 48 kg weight category at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014. In 2018, he won the gold medal in Gold Coast in the 53 kg weight category.
Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu still has the option of appealing against the verdict but it is not certain whether she will do so. She can appeal to the Appellate Panel of NADA within 21 days of getting the decision. Sanjita herself presented her side during the hearing. He deliberately refused to take the banned drug. He had said that he had taken utmost care in taking food and supplements. The panel noted that the present case appeared to be a case of systematic doping where the athlete had used a banned substance.
The panel said that no such evidence was found to prove that Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu has consumed such banned substance through adulterated food, supplement or medicine. From this it can be concluded that the player intentionally consumed the said banned substance to increase strength and power. Other members of the panel included former hockey players Jagbir Singh and RK Arya. This is not the first time that the 2011 Asian Championships bronze medalist is facing a doping controversy.
Earlier in November 2017, ahead of the World Championships in the US, he was banned by the International Weightlifting Federation in 2018 after testing positive for the anabolic steroid testosterone. However, in 2020, the world body cleared him of the charges.
