Dope test: Commonwealth Games champion Sanjita Chanu banned for four years
New Delhi. Two-time Commonwealth Games champion Indian weightlifter Sanjita Chanu has been banned for four years by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for failing a dope test last year. Sanjita had tested positive for a metabolite of anabolic steroid – Drostanolone, which is on the banned list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) during the National Games in Gujarat in September-October last year. Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) President Sahdev Yadav confirmed that Sanjita has been banned. He said, “Yes, Sanjita has been banned by NADA for four years.” This is a big blow for Sanjita. He had won a silver medal in the National Games which has been taken away.His reaction to this new development could not be obtained.
Sanjita won the gold medal in the 48 kg weight category at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014. In 2018, he won the gold medal in Gold Coast in the 53 kg category. The Manipur player still has the option of appealing against the decision but it is not certain whether she will do so. Sanjita had told PTI in January, “I have experienced it before so why would I dope again.” I don’t know whether I will appeal or not because I will lose in both the cases. There will be no chance of If I lose, I will be suspended.” This is not the first time that the 2011 Asian Championships bronze medalist is facing a doping controversy.
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Earlier in November 2017, he was banned by the International Weightlifting Federation in 2018 after testing positive for the anabolic steroid testosterone ahead of the World Championships in the US. The world body, however, cleared him of the charges in 2020. Sanjita had said, “I have gone through this kind of situation before but I do not understand how this happened. Till this incident, I was very careful about my food and everything I did. I was also careful about my supplements and I asked if they were dope free.
