From Gold To Gloom: Doping Shock Threatens To Strip India's Para Athletics Glory

India's best-ever showing at the World Para Athletics Championships in Delhi has been hit by controversy, with star sprinter Simran Sharma's gold medal now under threat after her guide runner, Umar Saifi, tested positive for a banned substance. Simran, who clocked 11.95 seconds to win gold in the T-12 100m and added a bronze in the 200m, skipped the National Awards ceremony on Saturday — a move that raised eyebrows. It was later revealed that Saifi's name appeared on NADA's doping list, testing positive for drostanolone, an anabolic steroid. Under para athletics rules, both the athlete and the guide face disqualification if one tests positive, meaning India could lose both medals.

“This is a huge headache. We teach athletes how to stay clean, but this is shameful,” a Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) member told NDTV on condition of anonymity.

The scandal comes just days after an odd episode in Delhi, where foreign coaches from Kenya and Japan were bitten by stray dogs, drawing criticism of the event's organization.

Despite the hiccups, India finished 10th overall with 22 medals — 6 gold, 9 silver, and 7 bronze — and earned praise for hosting over 2,500 participants from 100 countries. The Sports Ministry had also announced cash awards worth ?1 crore for medallists.

What was meant to be a celebration of India's para sporting rise now risks being remembered for the wrong reasons — a record haul overshadowed by a failed dope test.