Indian Athletes Akshay Nain and Aditya Negi Banned for doping violations

Indian sprinter Akshay Nain and race walker Aditya Negi have been handed four-year bans after testing positive for prohibited substances, as per PTI.

The National Anti-Doping Agency’s (NADA) Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) announced the suspensions as part of its ongoing efforts to uphold fair play in sports.

Nain, a silver medalist in the 200m and bronze winner in the 400m at the 2023 National Open, tested positive for Drostanolone metabolite, an anabolic steroid.

His ban, which began on October 23, 2023, halts his competitive career, despite his personal bests of 10.85 seconds in the 100m, 20.97 seconds in the 200m, and 46.40 seconds in the 400m.

Negi, a promising race walker, was found guilty of using 19-Norandrosterone, another performance-enhancing substance. The 20-year-old, who had secured silver in the 10km event at the National U-20 Race Walking Championships, has been under provisional suspension since February 22, 2024, with his official ban period starting on the same date.

While these bans were issued on February 18, NADA made them public only on Wednesday. Additionally, the ADDP imposed a two-year suspension on wrestler Pawan Kumar and a three-year ban on boxer Pravesh Kumar for separate anti-doping violations.

The strict enforcement of anti-doping regulations highlights NADA’s commitment to keeping Indian sports clean and ensuring athletes compete on a level playing field.