14-Year-Old Asian Games Bound Swimmer Fails Dope Test

Earlier, Asian Games bound athletes Anjali Devi, Karanveer Singh and Kirpal Singh had also failed dope tests.

A 14-year-old swimmer has tested positive for a banned anabolic androgenic steroid.

(Photo: iStock)

A 14-year-old swimmer has returned positive diagnosis for a banned substance, 19-norandrosterone, according to the latest update by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). The list of provisionally suspended athletes on NADA’s website, which was last updated on 1 August, features 36 athletes, including the 2009-born swimmer.

According to reports in Revsportz, the female swimmer was among the better performers at the National Swimming Champions, which took place in Hyderabad last year, whilst she also is a part of the 23-member contingent selected for the Asian Games by the Swimming Federation of India (SFI).

The swimmer’s suspension will now be dealt with by the National Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel, where the teenager will either be granted amnesty or get suspended, depending on the explanation provided.

As per the list, athlete Arshdeep Singh and fencer Manpreet Singh have also been handed a provisional suspension for the use of 19-norandrosterone – considered an anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) according to World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) list of prohibited substances.

7 Minor Athletes Handed Suspension in 2023

NADA’s suspension list further mentions seven minor athletes who have been handed suspensions this year – three from athletics, two from weightlifting, and one each from kabaddi and wrestling.

Meanwhile, the teenage swimmer’s positive test is the second instance of a swimmer failing a dope test in recent times. Earlier, 1991-born female swimmer Sukhpreet Kaur had tested positive for hormone and metabolic modulators.

Other Asian Games Bound Athletes Who Failed Dope Test

The swimmer, whose identity has not been disclosed by NADA for being a swimmer, joins the list of Asian Games-bound athletes who have been provisionally suspended for failing dope tests.

Anjali Devi, who was selected to compete in the 400m category, tested positive for hormone and metabolic modulators. Shot putter Karanveer Singh has tested positive for methandienone and ostarine, while discus thrower Kirpal Singh returned a positive diagnosis for stanozolol metabolite 16b-hydroxy stanozolol.

Currently, a total of 36 athletes have been provisionally suspended by NADA.