Weightlifter Sanjita Chanu banned for 4 years by NADA

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Indian weightlifter and two-time Commonwealth Games winner Sanjita Chanu has been banned for four years by India's National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).

An Overview of the News

• The ban was imposed after Chanu tested positive for the anabolic-androgenic steroid Drostanolone, banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), during the National Games to be held in Gujarat in September-October 2022.

• Chanu's provisional suspension was announced by NADA soon after the sample collection, and her four-year ban has now been formally announced.

• As a result of the ban, Chanu would be stripped of her silver medal from the National Games.

• Several other Indian athletes who qualified for the Tokyo Olympics last year including Shivpal Singh, Kamalpreet Kaur, and Dhanalakshmi Sekar, Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Navjit Kaur Dhillon and long jumper Aishwarya Babu have also been found to have violated anti-doping rules.

• Drostanolone is primarily used to treat advanced inoperable breast cancer in women, but is often abused by athletes as a performance-enhancing drug.

About National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA)

• It is the national anti-doping organisation of India and is responsible for ensuring that athletes in India compete in a doping-free environment and the organisation was established in 2005 under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

• It is affiliated with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and follows the WADA Code for Anti-Doping Measures.

• Its main functions include testing for prohibited substances, educating athletes and coaches about anti-doping measures, and sanctioning athletes who violate anti-doping rules.

• It has a team of trained Doping Control Officers (DCOs) who test athletes in various sporting events.

• The organisation also has a Registered Testing Pool (RTP) of elite athletes who are subject to testing at any time, both in competition and out of competition.

Headquarters - New Delhi

Establishment - 24 November 2005

Affiliation - Indian Olympic Association

Chairman - Sports Minister (India)

official language - English; Hindi

Purpose - Anti-doping in sports