New Delhi: Doping tests on 27 year old Haryana based runner Dharambir Singh, returned positive, spelling horror for the 200 meter sprinter as he was served a devastating 8 year indefinite ban by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for being found guilty of using an anabolic steroid, during the Indian Grand Prix Meet in Bengaluru on July 11.
The Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel of the NADA has decided to ban him for the lengthy 8 year period, since this was his second time he was caught in a dope-related offence, “Dharambir has been handed an eight year ban by the NADA panel since this was his second offence. NADA has intimated the ban on Dharambir to IAAF and WADA,”
Previously, having been stripped of the gold he scored in a 100 meter dash during the National Inter-State Championships in 2012 for dodging a necessary dope test; the 8 year ban comes as a career killer for the young athlete, With many touting Dharambir’s professional life being done and dusted, as it becomes almost impossible for the sprinter to have a chance to represent India further in the future, as he will be 33 years of age when relieved of the ban.
His sharp timing and performance had raised eyebrows as he clocked the 200m Olympic standard of 20.50 seconds with 20.45 seconds – a national record, in Bengaluru on July 11, which also happened to be the last day of qualification for RIO, which was arranged by the organisers to give the athletes a chance to make it to the Olympic Games. Later for which he was barred from taking part in, for being caught cheating in a dope test.
He of late has been undergoing training with his personal trainer, in Rohtak.