Star India gymnast Dipa Karmarkar has been suspended by the International Testing Agency (ITA) on Friday after they confirmed the news on its website. The suspension will remain for 21 months and is already in effect since 2021. The suspension will last until July 2023, during which she can't be an active participant in any gymnastic-related activities on the global stage for India.
ITA confirms ban
“The ITA confirms that Dipa Karmakar has been suspended for a 21-month period, effective until 10 July 2023 after testing positive for higenamine (S3. Beta-2 Agonists as per the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list). The positive sample was collected on behalf of the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) in the scope of an out-of-competition control on 11 October 2021,” read a statement on the ITA’s website.
The case was resolved via a case resolution agreement pursuant to article 10.8.2 of the FIG Anti-Doping Rules (FIG ADR, and equivalent provision in the World Anti-Doping Code). The athlete’s results have been disqualified from 11 October 2021 onwards.
The ban is already in effect from October 2021 and Dipa has served 16 months of the mentioned suspension. However, with the ban set to lift in time before the 2024 Olympics in Paris, she will be able to participate and prepare for the big tournament. The suspension will come to an end in July, which gives almost a year for the star Indian to prepare for the event.
What will Dipa miss?
In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Dipa finished fourth and narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal in Gymnastics. Karmarkar will miss out on the Apparatus World Cup Series tournaments (Cottbus, Doha, Baku, and Cairo) as well as at least three of the six World Challenge Cup Series. The 2023 World Championships in Antwerp could serve as the returning platform for Dipa in October. The Championships will also serve as the qualification for the Paris Olympics.
