Dutee Chand tests positive for banned substances; provisionally suspended

Dutee Chand has received a career setback after testing positive for banned substances. She has been provisionally suspended.

Prominent Indian sprinter Dutee Chand has sampled positive for illegal anabolic steroids during out-of-competition testing and has been provisionally suspended. The urine sample of the 26-year-old, who finished second in both the 100 metres and 200 metres events at the Asian Games 2018 and is the reigning national 100 metres champion, has repaid adverse analytical findings (AAF) for 'andarine', 'ostarine' and 'ligandrol', said a doping control notification on negative analytical results issued by the National Anti-doping Agency (NADA).

In a letter addressed to Dutee, the AAF notification said, "I do hereby inform you that your sample A was tested at the NDTL [National Dope Testing Laboratory] in accordance with the procedure set out in WADA's [World Anti-Doping Agency] International Standard of Laboratories and was returned adverse analytical findings as details are given below."

The sample was ordered out-of-competition on December 5 last year at Bhubaneswar. The note also cautioned Dutee about the possible ramifications. "I do hereby invite you to carefully read the contents of this letter which provides important information as to the potential consequences of the AAF and resulting disciplinary process," the letter added. Dutee, when reached, declared that she was clueless about sample 'A' testing positive. "I do not know," she conveyed.

(With inputs from PTI)