Javelin thrower Davinder Singh Kang flunks dope test, stares at 4-year ban

New Delhi, Feb 28: Top Indian javelin thrower Davinder Singh Kang has been suspended provisionally by the world athletics governing body after he returned positive for an anabolic steroid in an out-of-competition test conducted in November last year.

The 29-year-old Kang's dope sample was taken by the officials of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), the IAAF's new anti-doping body, on November 10 last year in Patiala.

It was found to contain an anabolic steroid and Kang now faces the prospect of being banned for four years. In that case, his career could well be over.

The AIU officials tested Kang at a time prescribed by him under the "whereabouts" clause of the WADA Code as he is one of the five Indian athletes placed in the IAAF Registered Testing Pool.

Kang's dope failure was intimated to the Athletics Federation of India by the IAAF on Tuesday (February 27) and his name was immediately removed from the starting line-up of men's javelin throw at the Indian Grand Prix held at NIS Patiala.

He has been told by the AFI to leave the national camp at NIS Patiala. This is the first time an Indian athlete has returned positive in a test conducted by the AIU, which began functioning in April last year.

The AIU was established as an independent anti-doping body for athletics in the wake of the Russian doping scandal.

"The AIU people came to Patiala on November 10 and took his sample and that has turned out to contain an anabolic steroid. The athlete gave the timing window of 10am to 11am on that particular day in his 'whereabouts' information. The dope result came a few days back and he is now provisionally suspended," an official of the AFI told PTI from Patiala on condition of anonymity.

"The test was conducted at the NDTL and if he desires to test his B sample, the deadline to do that will be sometime in the first week of next month. Even if the test was conducted under the aegis of IAAF, I feel NADA's Anti-Disciplinary Panel will hear his case," the official added.

Kang is certain to be left out of the Indian team for the April 4-15 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, which will be announced on March 9.

Last year, the Punjab athlete had also tested positive for marijuana, traces of which were found in his urine sample collected by the National Anti-Doping Agency officials during an Indian Grand Prix event here on May 15.

Kang, a medal prospect in the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games this year, was not suspended by the NADA at that time, since marijuana falls under the "specified substance" category in the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) prohibited list of the performance-enhancing drugs.

He took part in the 2017 World Championships in London and became the first Indian to reach the javelin throw final round in a World Championship. He was training under German legend Uwe Hohn at NIS Patiala, preparing for the Commonwealth and the Asian Games.