CWG gold medallist weight lifter Sanjita Chanu fails dope test

Dope shame returned to haunt Indian weightlifting as two-time Commonwealth Games champion Sanjita Chanu tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid and was provisionally suspended by the international federation.

International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) said on its website that Sanjita, who had won a gold in the women’s 53kg category in the recent Gold Coast CWG, has tested positive for testosterone.NEW DELHI: Dope shame returned to haunt Indian weightlifting as two-time Commonwealth Games champion Sanjita Chanu tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid and was provisionally suspended by the international federation.

International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) said on its website that Sanjita, who had won a gold in the women’s 53kg category in the recent Gold Coast CWG, has tested positive for testosterone.
“IWF reports that the sample of Ms. Sanjita Chanu Khumukcham (IND) has returned an Adverse Analytical Finding for Testosterone (S1.1 Anabolic Agents). As a consequence, the Athlete is provisionally suspended in view of a potential anti-doping rule violation,” the IWF stated in its website.
However, there is no clarity as to whether she tested positive for the banned drug in Gold Coast or some other international competition.

During the CWG, the 24 year old from Manipur set a new Commonwealth Games record with a lift of 84 kg in snatch and 108 kg in clean and jerk, to finish with a total of 192 kg.

The doping violation will be big setback to national team as the incident has happened at an international competition. And, as per the new anti-doping policy of the world governing body, the penalty also includes a reduced quota place for Indian in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Sanjita was included in the national camp for the Asian Games. She was training in Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Shilaroo, Himachal Pradesh, but has been forced to quit the camp due to the development.

Overall, Indian lifting team won nine medals including five gold at the CWG. World champion Mirabai Chanu (48kg) and Punam Yadav (69kg) were other two winners in the women’s segment while Venkat Rahul Ragala (85kg) and Sathish Kumar Sivalingam (77kg) were victorious in the men’s section. Pradeep Kumar (105kg) and Guru Raja (56kg) claimed silver while Vikas Thakur (94kg) and Deepak Lather (69kg) won bronze to round up the medal tally.

India’s outstanding performance in the CWG raised hopes of a successful campaign by the weightlifters at the Asian Games in Jakarta in August.