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Indian athletes Ankit and Jayesh Patil have received three-year bans from NADA after testing positive for meldonium, a banned endurance-enhancing substance.
(AFP Photo)
Indian athletics has been hit by another doping controversy.
National Anti-Doping Agency has handed three-year bans to Ankit of the Services Sports Control Board and Jayesh Patil of Railways after both athletes tested positive for the banned substance meldonium.
The sanctions officially came into effect from February 25 for Ankit and February 27 for Patil.
Positive Tests After National Championships
Ankit had finished third at the 69th National Cross Country Championships before later failing the doping test.
Patil, meanwhile, secured fifth place in the same event.
The 20-year-old Railways athlete is also regarded as one of India’s promising distance runners, having won silver in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2024 Junior National Championships.
Both athletes eventually accepted the anti-doping rule violations, which resulted in a one-year reduction to their original periods of ineligibility.
What Is Meldonium?
Both runners tested positive for meldonium, a substance prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Meldonium is commonly associated with endurance enhancement because it can improve oxygen delivery and recovery, making it particularly relevant in long-distance and stamina-heavy sports.
The drug gained worldwide attention in 2016 after multiple athletes across different sports tested positive for it following WADA’s crackdown.
Fresh Blow For Indian Athletics
The suspensions add to the growing concerns surrounding doping in Indian athletics, particularly in endurance events.
While both athletes admitted to the violations, the bans will significantly disrupt their careers during key developmental years.
For Patil especially, the suspension halts the momentum of a young athlete who had started making a name for himself at the junior national level.
Now, both runners will remain sidelined from competition until 2029.
(with PTI inputs)
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