- 38th National Games doping scandal has shocked the Indian sports community as 8 medalists were among 11 athletes who tested positive for prohibited substances in Uttarakhand. The incident has raised serious concerns about anti-doping enforcement at the national level.
DEHRADUN: During the just finished 38th National Games in Uttarakhand, eleven participants tested positive for illegal substances.
Of the eleven athletes, eight have won medals. Punjab is said to have the most positive cases, with six.
Eleven athletes have been placed on provisional suspension by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for breaking anti-doping regulations by using prohibited performance-enhancing substances.
According to a reliable source, Punjab’s prominent basketball player Amritpal Singh is among those suspended in the 38th National Games doping scandal. Amritpal, a veteran of prestigious leagues in Australia and Japan, is reportedly facing his second doping violation.
During this year’s 38th National Games, which took place in Uttarakhand from January 28 to February 14, Amritpal earned a gold medal for Punjab.
If he is unable to prove his innocence, he may be banned for up to eight years, according to sources in the disciplinary committee.
According to reports, Amritpal had previously tested positive for doping in 2020, and his name has now surfaced again in the 38th National Games doping scandal.
Meanwhile, it was stated that several illegal chemicals were present in samples taken from Wushu practitioners Rahul Tomar and Neeraj Joshi.
According to additional sources, NADA-collected samples are still being tested, and it is anticipated that the number of positive cases will increase. A record 25 athletes tested positive for doping during the 2023 National Games in Goa.
38th National Games Doping Scandal Follows Pattern of Past Violations in Kerala and Gujarat
16 doping incidents during the 2015 Kerala National Games raised serious concerns, while 10 positive samples were found during the Gujarat Games in 2022.
The case involving Elish Arokiya, a weightlifter from Tamil Nadu, is another major setback. Elish, who holds the national record of 87 kg, was regarded as a serious candidate to win a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games, which are scheduled to take place in Glasgow.
