Athletics
Hima Das provisionally suspended by NADA for doping violation
Star sprinter Hima Das was provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency for whereabouts failures in 12 months.
Star Indian sprinter Hima Das has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for three whereabouts failures in 12 months, according to sources.
Multiple Asian Games medalist sprinter from Assam, Hima was not named in the Hangzhou Asian Games team due to an injury she had sustained earlier in the year.
As reported by PTI, the athlete has been suspended for three whereabouts failures in a year and her suspension is provisional at the moment.
Hima Das won three medals in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games where she won gold in women's 4x400m and mixed 4x400m relay and silver in 400m .
She faces a maximum two-year ban, which can be reduced to a minimum of one year depending on the degree of her fault.
What is Whereabouts Failure?
One of the anti-doping violations is ‘whereabouts failure’. It is a combination of three ‘filing failures’ or ‘missed tests’ within 12 months that makes a ‘whereabouts failure’.
An athlete needs to update their accurate information on their whereabouts every quarter so that they can be located for out-of-competition testing.
Earlier this year, Wrestler Vinesh Phogat was also warned by NADA for failing to file about her whereabouts. Gymnast Dipa Karmakar, who is coming on the back of a three-year suspension, was suspended on similar grounds by the anti-doping authority.
Hima's suspension is an addition to a long list of doping violators in Indian athletics as racewalker Bhawana Jat was suspended just before the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, last month.
