File photo of Murali Gavit (bib no. 246).
Indian long-distance runner Murali Kumar Gavit's 10000m bronze medal in the Asian Athletics Championship last year could be upgraded to silver after original second-place finisher Hassan Chani of Bahrain was disqualified for an Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) violation.
The Disciplinary Tribunal of the Athletics Integrity Unit, which oversees the anti-doping programme of the track and field sport, on Thursday banned Chani for four years from March 16 for an ABP violation under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules.
The tribunal ruled that his results between August 3, 2017 and March 16, 2020 will be disqualified. The AIU's Disciplinary Tribunal said in its order that the decision is appealable exclusively to the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Switzerland.
Chani had finished second in the men's 10000m race in the 2019 Asian Championships in Doha with a timing of 28:31.30s while Gavit had clocked 28:38.34s.
Another Bahrain athlete Dawit Fikadu had won the gold in 28:26.30s.
Chani had also won a gold in 10000m in the 2018 Asian Games.
