Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Jun 11: India’s 1,500m national record holder KM Deeksha has returned a second positive test for a banned substance, further deepening her doping troubles.
Deeksha, who has been under provisional suspension by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) since last week, was initially found to have tested positive for Stanozolol, a synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroid, in an out-of-competition sample collected in Bhopal in February.
The same banned substance has now been detected in an in-competition sample collected during the Indian Athletics Series 2 held in Jaipur in April.
According to reports, the 27-year-old middle-distance runner is likely to accept a reduced three-year sanction from NADA’s Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel. Earlier, she had been considering an appeal following the first adverse analytical finding.
Deeksha had set a national record of 4:04.78 in the women’s 1,500m event in 2024. She participated in only one competition this season, where she subsequently tested positive. At the Jaipur meet, she clocked 4:25.74, well below the qualification standards for the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
Meanwhile, Indian javelin thrower Sachin Yadav is struggling with an elbow injury that could jeopardise his chances of securing selection for the Asian Games.
The 26-year-old athlete, who recently made his Diamond League debut in Rome, is reportedly unlikely to recover in time for the National Inter-State Championships scheduled to be held in Bhubaneswar from June 24 to 28. The event serves as the final selection trial for the continental competition.
Sachin had enjoyed an impressive season last year, recording a personal best throw of 86.27 metres at the World Championships, where he finished fourth ahead of star throwers Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem.
However, his form has dipped this season. At the Federation Cup in Ranchi, he managed a best throw of 79.07m while attempting to achieve the Commonwealth Games qualification mark of 82.61m.
Although no Indian javelin thrower has crossed the Commonwealth Games qualification standard this season, final selections will remain subject to the discretion of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).