Discus Star Seema Punia Fails Dope Test, NADA Hands 16-Month Ban To Former Asian Games Champion

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New Delhi: Former Asian Games gold medallist and four-time Commonwealth Games podium finisher Seema Punia has been handed a 16-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance, according to the latest sanctions announced by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).

The 42-year-old discus thrower's ban came into effect on November 10, the date of the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) decision. NADA's updated list of offenders does not specify the substance for which she tested positive, but the ruling adds another chapter to her long-standing doping history.

A decorated yet controversial career

Punia, one of India's most accomplished discus throwers, has had a career spanning over two decades. She competed in four Olympic Games (2004, 2012, 2016, 2020), won an Asian Games gold in 2014, and earned four Commonwealth Games medals, three of them silver.

Her last appearance came at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023, where she clinched a bronze medal. She did not compete thereafter and publicly expressed a desire to retire after the Paris 2024 Olympics, a qualification she eventually missed.

The latest suspension marks the third doping-related setback of her career. Punia had previously violated anti-doping rules at the junior level at age 17, followed by another offence during her senior competitive years.

Her personal best - 64.84m, achieved in 2004 - remains one of the strongest throws by an Indian discus athlete to date. Beyond her competitive career, she also served as a coach to para javelin thrower Sandeep Chaudhary, who won silver at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi earlier this year.

More athletes suspended

Seema is not the only Indian athlete penalised in the latest round of sanctions.

NADA also suspended:

• 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

The spate of suspensions highlights ongoing concerns over doping practices across Indian athletics, with NADA increasing its testing and enforcement measures ahead of major international competitions in 2025.