The National Anti-Doping Agency on Thursday issued an eight-year ban on 27-year-old sprinter Dharambir Singh after he was found guilty of dope-related offences. The Haryana sprinter had been barred from representing India in the 2016 Rio Olympics after he failed a dope test. He was the first male Indian sprinter to qualify for the Olympics in 36 years, and was scheduled to participate in the 200-metre event at the Games.
In July, the Haryana-based athlete had tested positive for a banned steroid in a competition test conducted by the anti-doping agency during the Indian Grand Prix Meet.
An official told PTI, “Dharambir has been handed an eight-year ban as this was his second offence,” He was stripped of the gold medal he had won during the National Inter-State Championships in 2012 for not undergoing a compulsory drug test.
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