Dutee Chand Tests Positive For Prohibitive Substance, Handed Provisional Suspension

Indian sprinter Dutee Chand was handed a provisional suspension on Wednesday after testing positive for using prohibitive substances. The reigning national 100m champion tested positive for 'andarine', 'ostarine' and 'ligandrol', according to the statement issued by the National Anti-doping Agency (NADA) regarding the adverse analytical findings (AAF). The suspension was handed after the ‘A' sample of the 26-year-old tested positive. The sample was collected out-of-competition on December 5 last year. 

According to the WADA website's list of prohibited substances, they are generally misused by athletes as a performance enhancement drug. The three substances are used to stimulate androgen receptors in muscle and bone, leading to bone and muscle growth, the website further stated. 

"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 given below," the agency said in a letter to Dutee Chand. 

The letter, which contained the official notification, also informed Chand about the potential consequences of the failed test.  

"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. 

The sprinter currently holds the national record in 100m sprint and along with Dhanalakshmi Sekar, Hima Das and Archana Suseendran, she is also part of the quartet who hold the 4*100m relay sprint national record. She also finished second in both 100m and 200m sprint at the 2018 Asian Games. 

(With PTI Inputs)