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The 25-year-old Saini had won a gold medal in the men’s 66kg category in the Taipei Asia Open early last month.
“Yes, he had failed a dope test conducted by an international agency during the Taipei Open. So, he will not be in the Asian Games team,” a team coach, who has knowledge of the development, told PTI.
The International Testing Agency (ITA) is responsible for conducting testing and result management for the International Judo Federation.
Saini, who was among the probables for the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games scheduled from September 23 to October 8, is now facing a suspension due to a positive drug test result during the Taipei Open.
The Judo Federation of India had held a selection trial in Delhi in April, but the final team for the Asian Games has not been announced yet. However, Saini’s inclusion in the list of probables now seems uncertain due to the recent doping incident.
Unfortunately, Saini is not the only judoka facing such a situation, as he has become the fifth athlete in the sport to fail a doping test in the past two months.
Four other judokas, namely Harshdeep Brar (81kg), Gulab Ali Mohsin (60kg), Rahul Sevta (81kg), and Akshay (66kg), were found to have failed out-of-competition tests conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) during the national camp in Bhopal and the selection trials in Delhi. As a result, all four have been provisionally suspended.
This wave of doping incidents in judo is a concerning development and may have significant implications for the athletes involved and the sport’s reputation overall. It highlights the importance of maintaining strict anti-doping measures and ensuring fair competition in sports.
(With PTI inputs)
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