NADA imposes 8-year ban on Haryana athlete Dharambir Singh

Things have gone from bad to worse for Indian sprinter Dharambir Singh. The Haryana athlete was originally scheduled to represent India in the 2016 Rio Olympics in August. But just a few days before Dharambir was set to take the flight to Brazil, he was not allowed to board due to a reportedly failed test. 

The in-competition test by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) during the Indian Grand Prix Meet on July 11 had turned out to be positive. 

Now, it might be almost impossible for the sprinter to represent India any further as Dharambir has been handed a ban of eight years by NADA. He is currently aged 25 and will be 33 years when the ban comes to an end. His career might have well come to an end. 

The agency, which has always been strict on such matters in the past, has taken this stern stance of a lengthy ban as it was also Dharambir's second dope-related offence. He had also eluded a dope test in 2012.

"Dharambir has been handed an eight-year ban by the NADA panel since this was his second offence. NADA has intimated the ban on Dharambir to IAAF and WADA," Press Trust of India quoted a top source as saying.

The issue of doping seems to be a problem in India, with a number of athletes being banned in the past as well. NADA, after having imposed such a strict action, will hope that athletes think twice before involving themselves in such activities.