The 2022 Asian Games bronze medallist shot putter Kiran Baliyan and shuttler Krishna Prasad Gargara are among the athletes provisionally suspended for doping, as per the latest list updated by the National Anti Doping Agency on its website.

Baliyan, who became the first Indian woman to win an Asiad medal in shot put in 72 years, tested positive for metandienone – an anabolic androgenic steroid.

Metadienone is a prohibited substance by the World Anti Doping Agency and Baliyan has been provisionally suspended for “Presence of a Prohibited Substance” and “Use or Attempted Use by an Athlete of a Prohibited Substance,” by NADA.

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Likewise shuttler Gargara has been provisionally suspended under the same two articles of NADA for the presence of Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin, or hCG in his sample.

As per WADA, “Human chorionic gonadotropin is used to restore gonadal function after use of anabolic hormones.” The use of gonadotropin is prohibited for male athletes as it helps in producing higher levels of testestrone.

Gargara last competed at the Canada Open Super 500 in July, partnerning Sai Pratheek. He has since been missing in action with Pratheek slated to play with MR Arjun at the Bendigo International Challenge in Australia in October.

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Among others in the provisionally suspended list are 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist hammer thrower Manju Bala, Parvej Khan, who took the NCAA circuit by storm earlier this year, 400m sprinter Deepanshi, kabaddi star Sonu Jaglan and javelin thrower DP Manu.

Meanwhile as per a report in The New Indian Express, wrestler Bajrang Punia’s name has been missing from the provisionally suspended athletes’ list.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court earlier this month, challenging the National Anti Doping Agency’s decision to provisionally suspend him in June.

Earlier this month, Punia had joined the Congress party ahead of the Haryana Assembly polls.