Asian champion shot-putter Manpreet Kaur fails dope test

Asian champion shot-putter Manpreet Kaur, who has been caught in the dope net after testing positive for a banned stimulant, might lose the gold medal clinched by her earlier this month.

Ms. Kaur, who won a gold medal in the recently-concluded Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, tested positive for stimulant dimethylbutylamine. The test was conducted by National Anti-Doping Officials during the Federation Cup National Championships held in Patiala from June 1-4.

She has not been put under provisional suspension as dimethylbutylamine is a specified substance under the WADA Code but India will lose the gold medal she won in Bhubaneswar if her confirmatory urine sample ‘B’ test also returns positive.

“Manpreet has tested positive in a test conducted during the Federation Cup in June. Her urine sample has been found to have stimulant dimethylbutylamine. We have been notified by NADA about this last night,” an Athletics Federation of India official said.

When contacted for a response, Ms. Kaur’s coach Karamjeet, who is also her husband, said, “we have not yet been told about anything.”

“We have not thought about it (about her World Championships participation). But we cannot lose our face on that big stage. We have to figure out about that,” the AFI official added.