Athletics
Indian junior athletics chief coach provisionally suspended by NADA
Ramesh Nagapuri is a Dronacharya awardee and coach of sprinter Dutee Chand.
Ramesh Nagapuri with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after being honoured with the Dronacharya award (Photo credit: Narendra Modi/Twitter)
In a shocking development, the National Anti Doping Agency has handed out a provisional suspension to India's junior athletics chief coach Ramesh Nagpuri for "complicity" in doping.
This comes just a day after reports emerged that Ramesh helped two athletes evade dope tests at the Sports Authority of India centre in Hyderabad.
Along with Ramesh, two other coaches – Karamveer Singh and Rakesh – were also suspended for "complicity" and "administration of prohibited substances" respectively, as per PTI.
Ramesh is a renowned coach in the Indian athletics circuit, having guided Indian women's 100m national record holder Dutee Chand and the 2024 Paris Paralympics medallist Deepthi Jeevanji.
Coincidentally, Dutee herself is currently undergoing a four-year doping ban which was handed to her in January 2023.
Ramesh, a Dronacharya awardee, refused to comment on the issue.
He has been suspended under Article 2.9 of the NADA Anti-Doping Rules of 2021, which deals with 'Complicity or attempted complicity by an athlete or other Person'.
