Indian sprinter Hima Das has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for three whereabouts failures in a span of 12 months. The development was confirmed by an Indian official. Das can face a maximum ban of up to two years, but it can be reduced to one year depending on the degree of fault by the Indian athlete.
Speaking to the PTI on conditions of anonymity, the Indian official said, "Yes, she has committed three whereabouts failures in one year period and so she has been provisionally suspended by the NADA." As per the World Athletics Anti-Doping (WADA) rules, a combination of three whereabouts failures including a filing failure and a missed test or both within a period of 12 months will constitute an anti-doping rule violation.
Das, who has already withdrawn from the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou China due to injury, suffered a hamstring pull and hence missed the Inter-State Athletics Championships, which was the final selection trials for the Asian Games. Das had won a 400m individual silver at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. The sprinter was also a part of the gold and silver-winning women's 4x400m and mixed 4x400m relay quartets in Jakarta.
The injury happened before the Indian Grand Prix IV in Bangalore in April and she had to sit out of the Federation Cup in May in Ranchi.
“It is unfortunate Hima was injured a day before the Indian Grand Prix IV in Bangalore. She pulled a hamstring and also had back problems,” Indian athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair had told PTI then.
(With PTI inputs)
