India’s top javelin thrower Shivpal Singh’s ban was on Tuesday reduced from four years to one year after the appeal panel of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) accepted his stand that he was due to “interfere with food supplements”. Had failed the dope test. His lawyer gave this information. NADA’s Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel had on August 16 last year banned Shivpal from participating in the Tokyo Olympics for four years after his dope sample was found positive for steroids during an out-of-competition test in September 2021.
The Uttar Pradesh athlete’s ban began on October 21, 2021, and he is free to compete after Tuesday’s order. Shivpal’s lawyer Partha Goswami told PTI, “Shivpal argued before the appeal panel that the positive result was not the result of his willful mistake and it was due to spurious/adulterated food supplement.” The above supplement was disclosed by the athlete in the doping control form at the time of sample collection.
Goswami said, “This fake supplement was purchased from Herbal Power Pharmacy and this supplement store was later found to be involved in selling adulterated supplements and an FIR was also registered against it.” Tested at National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL). Goswami said, “The NDTL confirmed that the supplement was adulterated and also confirmed the presence of methadone which was found in the athlete’s sample.”
Shivpal, through his lawyers, submitted that he had taken due care and had also seen the label of the supplement which did not mention any banned substance. Goswami said, “The appeal panel said that they were satisfied that Shivpal exercised due diligence and checked the ingredients by searching the internet and then took the supplement and the panel also said that Shivpal was not negligent.” Goswami claimed An appeals panel headed by Supreme Court lawyer Abhinav Mukherjee asked NADA to ensure that ‘fake supplements’ do not reach the country’s athletes.
He also said that NADA has been asked to frame a policy to certify shops across the country as safe sources from where athletes can buy supplements without any fear. Shivpal was provisionally suspended in October 2021 after failing an out-of-competition test. The banned substance methadienone was found in his body. The Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel had given its verdict in August last year but the detailed order was not uploaded on the NADA website.
