Indian sprinter Dutee Chand was handed a provisional suspension on Wednesday, 18 January, for testing positive for the usage of prohibitive substances. In an out-of-competition doping test conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Chand was found to use Selection Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs).
According to WADA, SARMs is an anabolic agent that stimulates androgen receptors to trigger tissue growth in muscle and bones, ultimately resulting in a performance enhancement. It falls under the ‘prohibited at all times’ category for both in-competition and out-of-competition testing.
It was the sprinter’s ‘A’ sample which returned the positive diagnosis. Chand now has the option of launching an appeal, following which her ‘B’ sample will be sent for further diagnosis.
Meanwhile, the two-time Asian Games medallist has claimed that the doping allegations are false, saying she never used performance-enhancement drugs.
“I have been competing at the highest level for almost a decade and I have never touched or used any kind of performance-enhancing drugs. I have given my samples whenever asked. In 2014 I had to fight for my right to run due the hyperandrogenism case and now this has come up,” she informed Indian Express.
Back in 2014, Chand was left out of India’s contingent for the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, after the Athletic Federation of India (AFI) stated that hyperandrogenism made her ineligible to compete as a female athlete. The suspension was later revoked following a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling.
No Idea About Her Whereabouts: AFI
In a statement, AFI have claimed that they were unaware of Chand’s whereabouts, as she had opted to train alone in Odisha.
“At that point in time (when she was tested), she wasn’t at the national camp. She left the camp a long time ago and wasn’t training under any official AFI coach. She moved to Odisha somewhere to train by herself and we had no idea about her whereabouts,” their statement read.
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