Discus Thrower Seema Punia Handed 16-Month Ban for Doping Violation.
Former Asian Games gold medallist Seema Punia has been suspended for 16 months after failing a dope test. The ban, effective 10 November, was announced by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), which did not disclose the substance involved. This adds to Punia’s past record, which includes two previous doping violations, one at the junior level when she was 17.
Career Highlights
- Asian Games: Gold in 2014 (Incheon), bronze in 2018 (Jakarta)
- Commonwealth Games: Four-time medallist with three silvers
- Olympics: Represented India at 2004, 2012, 2016, and 2020
- Personal Best: 64.84m (2004)
- Junior Level: Bronze at 2002 World Championships
Last competed at Hangzhou Asian Games 2023, winning a bronze
Earlier in 2025, she coached para javelin thrower Sandeep Chaudhary, who won silver at the World Para Athletics Championships
Retirement and Recent Plans
Punia had expressed plans to retire after the 2024 Paris Olympics, for which she did not qualify. She has not competed since Hangzhou.
Other Indian Athletes Banned
Several other Indian athletes have also faced suspensions for doping:
Pooja Yadav (distance running) – 4 years
Manjeet Kumar (shot put) – 6 years
Nikesh Dhanraj Rathod (middle-distance) – 4 years
Kuldeep Singh (marathon) – 4 years
Chhavi Yadav (steeplechase) – 4 years
Punia’s latest ban brings a controversial chapter to an otherwise illustrious two-decade-long career in Indian athletics.
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