DEHRADUN: Eleven athletes have tested positive for prohibited substances at the recently concluded 38th National Games held in Uttarakhand.Eight among the eleven athletes are medal winners. The highest number of positive cases, six, are reportedly from Punjab. The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has provisionally suspended11 athletes found to have violated anti-doping rules by consuming banned performance-enhancing drugs. According to a reliable source, Punjab’s prominent basketball player Amritpal Singh is among those suspended. Amritpal, a veteran of prestigious leagues in Australia and Japan, is reportedly facing his second doping violation. Amritpal had won a gold medal for Punjab at the 38th National Games, held in Uttarakhand from January 28 to February 14 this year. According to sources within the disciplinary committee, he could face a ban of up to eight years if he fails to prove his innocence. According to reports, Amritpal had previously tested positive for doping in 2020. Meanwhile, samples from Wushu players Neeraj Joshi and Rahul Tomar were reportedly found to contain multiple prohibited substances. Sources further revealed, testing of samples collected by NADA is still underway, and the number of positive cases is feared to rise. The 2023 National Games in Goa saw a record 25 athletes test positive for doping.The 2015 Kerala National Games sparked significant concern with 16 doping cases, while the 2022 Gujarat Games recorded 10 positive tests.Another significant blow is the case involving Tamil Nadu weightlifter Elish Arokiya. Elish, the 87kg national record holder, was considered a strong contender for a gold medal at the upcoming Commonwealth Games, stated to be in Glasgow.
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