Asian Games medalist Manju Bala banned for five years over doping; multiple athletes face suspension

Incheon Asian Games bronze medallist Manju Bala has been slapped with a five-year ban by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) after testing positive for banned performance-enhancing substances earlier this year.

The veteran hammer thrower, who won bronze at the 2014 Games, tested positive for dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone and SARMS LGD-4033 (ligandrol) — both classified as anabolic agents. Her case came to light in September 2024, and the final verdict was issued on October 15. The suspension takes effect retrospectively from July 10, 2024, when she was provisionally suspended.

The decision reflects NADA’s tougher stance on doping violations, with the five-year ban ranking among its harshest recent penalties. Bala will be ineligible to compete, participate in trials, or be considered for national selection during the suspension period.

• NADA’s disciplinary action also extended to athletes from other sports:
• Mohan Saini received a four-year ban starting October 14, 2025.

In bodybuilding, Gopala Krishnan, Amit Kumar, and Rajvardhan Sanjay Waskar were each banned for six years, while Shubham Mahara got a four-year ban. Boxer Sumit was suspended for two years, canoeist Nitin Verma for four years, and basketball player Shivendra Pandey for six years.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Doping Appeal Panel (ADAP) upheld a four-year suspension against sprinter Himani Chandel, reaffirming the agency’s consistency in applying anti-doping rules. With these bans, NADA has once again underlined its zero-tolerance policy toward doping, reinforcing its mission to ensure clean and fair competition across all sports disciplines in India.