Asian indoor shot put medallist Karanveer fails dope test

Shot putter Karanveer Singh has tested positive for doping and he has been dropped from the India squad for the Asian athletics championships starting in Bangkok on July 12, Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwala said on the eve of the contingent's departure.

Karanveer tested positive in a test done by the National Anti Doping Agency. It is not clear whether the sample was collected during last month's inter-state meet in Bhubaneswar or at the national camp in National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala.

The 25-year-old shot putter has been the India No.2, behind Asian record holder Tajinderpal Singh Toor in the last two seasons. At the inter-state meet, Karanveer won silver with his season’s best throw of 19.78m, finishing behind Toor, who bettered his own Asian record by touching 21.77m. His previous best was 21.49m, achieved two years ago. Both the shot putters had achieved AFI's qualifying standard (19m) for the Hangzhou Asian Games.

Toor will now be India’s only shot putter at the Asian Championships.

The positive test of a top athlete coming in a busy year of Asian Games and World Championships is a matter of concern. Last year, a number of high-profile athletes had failed dope tests, topped by woman discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur, who took part in the Tokyo Olympics.

In January, one of India's top sprinters Dutee Chand tested positive in an out-of-competition dope test and was provisionally suspended.

In the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report of 2020 published this year, India ranked an unwanted second (59 cases) in the number of anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs), behind Russia (135).

Karanveer was named in the national camp, from July 1 to September 25, in preparation for major meets this year, including the Asian Games.

Karanveer's personal best came at the National Open last October (20.10m). At the Asian Indoor Championships in Astana last year, he bagged silver (19.37m). This year, he won the Indian Open Throws competition (19.54m) and a bronze in the Federation Cup.

He crossed 19m seven times this season. He is currently sixth in the list of top Asians this season, led by Toor.

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