Neeraj Yadav fails dope test, India may lose two gold and drop one spot in Asian Para Games table

New Delhi, Nov 18: India stares at the unpleasant possibility of losing two gold medals it won during the recent Hangzhou Asian Para Games as Neeraj Yadav failed a dope test conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) a few days before the continental showpiece.
It is learnt that Yadav has tested positive for anabolic steroids in an out-of-competition test conducted in Bengaluru just “six days” before his departure for Hangzhou.
If he is found to have committed a doping offence by the NADA panel, India is expected to lose the two gold medals Yadav won in the F55 javelin and discus throw events in the October 22-28 event.
It could also see India dropping one place down to sixth from the original fifth. In that case, Indonesia, which had won 29 gold, 30 silver and 36 bronze, will rise one place to fifth.
India had won 29 gold, 31 silver and 51 bronze but its yellow metal count may now be reduced to 27 if Yadav is found guilty of doping.
“We have written to the NADA that the sample in question might not have been his. Or otherwise, the sample could have been contaminated,” Paralympic Committee of India’s (PCI) athletics head coach S Satyanarayana told PTI from Bengaluru.
“We got to know of the ADRV (Anti-Doping Rule Violation) on November 13 and he has seven days to represent his case. So, his case will be heard on November 21,” he added.
The 39-year-old Yadav could not be reached despite repeated attempts as he did not respond to calls.
Satyanarayana, however, admitted that India will lose the two gold medals Yadav won in Hangzhou if the para athlete is found guilty of doping by the NADA panel.
“Yes, we will lose the two gold medals if the NADA panel does not accept our contention. It does not matter whether it is an ADRV in a domestic sample or collected by an international agency or body, his results will be annulled since the test was done prior to the Asian Para Games,” he said.
“But why we are saying his sample could have been misplaced or contaminated is that he was tested twice in Hangzhou and so far we have not heard of any doping offence from the Asian Para Games samples.”
Satyanarayana said the PCI will wait for results from the two dope samples given by Yadav in Hangzhou.
“If he returns positive in Hangzhou tests, then he is guilty of doping and we have no case. If he comes clean in the two tests in Hangzhou, there is no way he will have an ADRV in the NADA sample because steroids remain for a long time in the body system,” Satyanarayana added. (PTI)