Accepted temporary suspension for disposal of Deepa case: Deepa
Indian gymnastics star Dipa Karmakar, who is serving a 21-month ban for failing a dope test, on Saturday said she had accepted a provisional suspension to settle the matter without any hassle. Karmakar also said that he unknowingly consumed the banned substance Higenamine (S3 beta2) which is on the banned list of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Karmakar tweeted, “I took it inadvertently and I don’t know what the source was.” I have accepted the provisional suspension to settle the matter with the International Federation without any hassle.”
Karmakar’s dope samples were taken by the ITA out of competition. The ITA is the independent agency responsible for the anti-doping program of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). Karmakar’s ban will end on July 10 this year as his samples were taken on October 11, 2021. Karmakar, who finished fourth in vault at the 2016 Rio Olympics, has been battling injuries since undergoing surgery in 2017. Their last tournament was the 2019 World Cup in Baku. Karmakar said that the doping case was the toughest battle of his life.
He said, “I don’t know how it got into my body. It was the toughest mental battle of my life. A fight that can break anyone. ”””’ He said, ” I underwent surgery in 2017 and 2019 and after returning to the field, there was another setback. I am determined to make a comeback now.” According to the ITA, the matter was resolved by mutual consent under Article 10.8.2 of the FIG Anti-Doping Rules, in which the athlete or other person acknowledges that he has violated the Anti-Doping Rules. If he has broken and accepts the punishment given by FIG and WADA, then the matter is settled there.
Karmakar expressed happiness that the matter has been resolved amicably and now she will return in July. “It was the end of the hardest fight of my life,” he said. My suspension was reduced to three months and two and a half months will be counted backwards. I can’t wait to make a comeback.” He said, “I have never even thought of taking a banned drug in my career. I will never do anything that will bring bad name to me or the country.
Karmakar’s coach Bisheshwar Nandi claimed that he had sent his samples to a WADA-accredited laboratory in Germany for further testing but the banned drug was not found in it. “Had he taken any such drug, he would have been banned for four years. Don’t know how it came in his body and Wada also understands it. We wanted to know so wrote a letter to WADA and got all the drugs and substances tested in Germany but nothing was found.
The coach also said that she will make a comeback only if she is able to reach the final of the tournament. He said, “It takes 18 to 19 months to achieve full fitness. She will not enter any competition just to participate. Will play only if I am in a position to reach the final and it is a challenge for me as a coach.” Karmakar and his coach Bisheshwar Nandi remained tight-lipped about the dope suspension at that time. Sudhir Mittal, president of the Gymnastics Federation of India, had also said that he had not received any communication from FIG in this regard. The officials had even said that he was suspended for disciplinary reasons and not for doping.
