National Games champion Arun gets four-year ban

Services triple jumper A.B. Arun, who lost his National Games gold after failing a dope test, has been given a four-year suspension.

The 26-year-old had stunningly won the gold with 16.79m, a Games’ record breaking Asian Games bronze medallist Praveen Chithravel’s record 16.68m (2022), in Goa late last year.

The National Anti-Doping Agency’s disciplinary panel, in its decision dated November 27, 2024, has banned him for four years from December 14, 2024.

Arun, from Kerala, had tested positive for Mephentermine and its metabolites Phentermine, non-specified stimulants which are prohibited in-competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Deepanshi out for three years

Meanwhile Haryana’s Deepanshi, who won the women’s 400m silver at the Inter-State Nationals in Bhubaneswar in June and had it taken away after testing positive for dope, has been given a three-year ban with effect from July 4 this year (a reduced ban under NADA’s case resolution agreement article 10.8 and 8.3).

The 22-year-old who had tested positive for Drostanolone, which comes under anabolic androgenic steroids category and which is prohibited at all times (in and out of competition), will be out of competition till July 3, 2027 and all her results from June 27, 2024 when the test was taken during the inter-State meet, will be disqualified.