Asian Champion Shot-Putter Tests Positive For Banned Substance, To Lose Gold If Found Guilty

New Delhi: Asian champion shot-putter Manpreet Kaur has been caught in the dope net after testing positive for a banned stimulant. National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) Director General Navin Agarwal has confirmed that the athlete would lose the gold medal clinched by her earlier this month.

Kaur, who won a gold medal in the recently-concluded Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, tested positive for stimulant dimethylbutylamine. The test was conducted by National Anti-Doping (NADA) officials during the Federation Cup National Championships held in Patiala from June 1 to 4.

According to Athletics Federation of India (AFI) she has not been put under provisional suspension as dimethylbutylamine is a specified substance under the WADA Code but India will lose the gold medal she won in Bhubaneswar if her confirmatory urine sample 'B' test also returns positive.

Speaking on the issue, Manpreet's coach Karamjeet, who is also her husband, said, "We have not yet been told about anything." The NADA Director General Navin Agarwal further said that this was the first time this banned stimulant dimethylbutylamine has been detected in the urine sample of a sportsperson in India.

Manpreet has already qualified for next month's World Championships to be held in London but the latest development may rule her out of the mega-event. If she found guilty, four years ban will be imposed on her.

Manpreet had set a national record in the first leg of the Asian Grand Prix meet in Jinhua in April with a throw of 18.86m, which fetched her gold as well as a World Championships berth. Later, she won gold each in the Federation Cup, Asian Championships and the National Inter-State Championships which concluded at Guntur on Tuesday.