Coach Kashinath Naik and Manu.
Indian sports activities has been hit by what’s prone to be its largest doping embarrassment of the yr. Javelin thrower DP Manu — nationwide champion, Olympic hopeful and presently twelfth on the planet — is underneath a dope cloud after his identify was conspicuously absent from the entry listing for the 63rd inter-State athletics championships.
Manu, who has struggled to repeat his private better of 84.35m (2022), has been the largest hope for finishing a historic javelin trio — moreover Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Jena — at Paris for India.
Whereas there was no official affirmation to date of his testing optimistic or a provisional suspension from the Nationwide Dope Testing Company (NADA), it’s learnt that the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had been suggested to not enable him to take part.
Sources within the know admitted he had examined optimistic for an anabolic steroid earlier this yr, most certainly in the course of the Indian Grand Prix 1 in Bangalore, however there isn’t a official communiqué to date. Federation officers expressed disappointment on the information.
“I can solely say I used to be additionally shocked on the information after I acquired it within the morning. It’s much more shocking as a result of he has been examined round 14 instances within the final one yr, so there isn’t a likelihood of not being conscious or alert. It’s disappointing, that’s all I can say,” AFI president Adille Sumariwalla advised The Hindu.
The frustration is much more baffling on condition that Manu, regardless of not managing the qualifying mark of 85.50m, is positioned comfortably excessive to make the minimize by his world rankings and had no want for drastic measures.
Curiously, Manu would be the third thrower educated by former Commonwealth Video games medallist Kashinath Naik to be within the dope internet if he’s suspended for doping.
Davinder Singh Kang, the primary Indian javelin thrower to make the World Championships remaining in 2017 and 2019 Asian Championships silver medalist Shivpal Singh, each coaching underneath Naik, too have been earlier sanctioned for prohibited substances.
With the AFI now deciding to penalise coaches as effectively for dope offenses, Naik too can be underneath shut scrutiny.