Runner Prachi Choudhary suspended after failed dope test

Uttar Pradesh athlete Prachi Chaudhary, who was preparing for the Tokyo Olympics in the national camp, has been caught in dope cheat. Anabolic steroid, Oxandrolone metabolite has been found in the blood sample of Prachi, who had dragged the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to court after she was not selected in the (4*4) 100-meter relay team for Jakarta Asian Games held in 2018. Following the report, the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) has temporarily banned Prachi. Not only this, the Federation has expelled her from the camp.

According to media reports, Prachi, who won silver in the 4x400m relay at the Asian Athletic Championships and was selected in the team for the World Championship, was included in the National Camp by the Federation for preparations for the Tokyo Olympics.

It is to be noted that dope control officers (DCOs) of the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) had collected Prachi’s out of competition urine sample at Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports center in Patiala at the National camp itself on December 30. Prachi’s urine sample was found to have banned substances at Qatar’s Doha testing laboratory.

NADA also said that Oxandrolone is a rare steroid and out of all the athletes that have been caught by NADA in the dope cheat only four have tested positive for this substance. It has also been confirmed that Prachi remains suspended pending hearing by the disciplinary panel. A four-year ineligibility period has also commenced for the presence of the non-specified substance in her sample.

Earlier, Prachi along with runner Chhavi Sharawat had dragged the AFI to Supreme Court claiming that the federation overlooked their records while favoring other competitors in the women’s 400m run for inclusion in the 52-member athletics contingent for the Asian Games 2018. Both Prachi and Chhavi had finished third and fourth respectively at the Guwahati meet which acted as a qualifier for the Jakarta Asian Games.

However, both the long-distance runners had lost their case as the AFI was successful in convincing the Apex court that the selection was done according to the selection policy.