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Senior India quarter-miler and Asian Games medalist MR Poovamma was given a two-year ban for failing a dope test last year when the NADA’s Anti-Doping Panel (ADAP) overturned a disciplinary panel decision to give her a three – month suspension. The doping sample of 32-year-old Poovamma, collected on February 18 last year, at the Indian Grand Prix I in Patiala, had returned positive for the stimulant methylhexaneamine, a specified substance according to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). -code. The Disciplinary Anti-Doping Panel had imposed a three-month suspension on her in June.
On appeal by the National Anti-Doping Service (NADA) against the decision of the disciplinary panel, the ADAP has imposed a two-year suspension on Poovamma.
“We have overruled the contested injunction of 16.06.2022, as passed by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel, and authorized the appeal of the NADA and, accordingly, imposed a 02 year sanction under Section 10.2.2 ineligibility for the Athlete,” it said. the Anti-Doping Panel. led by Abhinav Mukerji said in his order of September 16.
“We also provide that under Rule 10.10 all other competition results achieved by the Athlete from the date of Sample collection i.e. 18.02.2021, shall be disqualified and all consequential consequences, including loss of medals, points and prizes, shall be follow.” The appeals panel said: “Once the presence of the prohibited substance in the athlete’s body has been determined and there are no exculpatory or extenuating circumstances, the natural consequences under the ADR will follow.” Poovamma was part of the gold-winning 4x400m women’s and mixed relay teams at the 2018 Asian Games and was also part of the 4x400m relay team that won gold at the 2014 Asian Games.
She also won bronze in the individual 400m at the 2012 Asian Games. In 2015, she received the Arjuna Award.
There was speculation about Poovamma’s dope flunk last year after she skipped the relay events in Patiala just weeks before the Tokyo Olympics. She later left the national camp that had surprised many.
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She had won silver medals in the Indian Grand Prix I and II in Thiruvananthapuram on March 13 and 23, respectively, with times of 53.39sec and 52.44sec (the best of the season). She had also won silver in the Federation Cup at Malappuram in April with a time of 52.70s.
She will be stripped of all three medals.
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