Runner Sanjivani Jadhav banned for 2 years for dope flunk

India's leading long distance runner, Sanjivani Jadhav has been handed a two-year suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for failing a doping test. The order was issued on Wednesday by the AIU, an independent body set up by the international athletics federation, as Jadhav's dope sample was found to contain Probenecid, a prohibited substance that is believed to increase uric acid excretion in the urine. Doping is an epidemic that continues to grapple the arena of sports and athletes like Jadhav. The Nashik-born athlete has been banned for her first-time doping offence, since it was not known as to whether the athlete deliberately consumed the banned substance or it got into her system inadvertently. The 23-year-old won the 10,000m bronze at the 2019 Asian Championships and 5000m bronze in the 2017 edition. She will serve a retrospective suspension period of two years commencing from June 29, 2018. The suspension was based on samples collected at the TCS World 10k in Bengaluru last year. Jadhav will lose all the titles, awards, medals, points and prize and appearance money won during this period as per IAAF rules. With the Olympic year looming, the dope cloud hovering over Indian sports raise eyebrows. Like Jadhav, there is Ramshad, a silver medallist at the 2019 senior nationals in 102kg, who has been put under provisional suspension for a doping violation.