Asian Games bronze medalist Kiran Baliyan provisionally suspended after failing dope test

Hyderabad: Asian Games bronze medalist Kiran Baliyan along with badminton player Krishna Prasad Gargara, hammer throw athlete Manju Bala, Parvej Khan, sprinter Deepanshi, kabaddi player Sonu Jaglan and javelin thrower DP Manu.

The athletes, among others, have been provisionally suspended and the confirmations have been put up on the National Anti Doping Agency on their website.

Kiran Baliyan, an Asian Games bronze medalist in the 2023 edition in shot put, has tested positive for methandienone which is an anabolic androgenic steroid.

Baliyan after winning the bronze medal became the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Asian Games in more than seven decades.

The shot putter is now provisionally suspended by the NADA. Methandienone has been added as a prohibited substance by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA).

The NADA website lists Baliyan as a suspension for the ‘Presence of a Prohibited Substance’ and ‘Use or Attempted Use by an Athlete of a Prohibited Substance.’

Badminton player Krishna Prasad Gargara has also been provisionally suspended by the NADA after doping tests confirmed the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG in his sample.

The Human chorionic gonadotropin is used to restore gonadal function after use of anabolic hormones. WADA has listed it as a banned substance as the use of gonadotropin is prohibited for male athletes as it helps in producing higher levels of testosterone.