NADA provisionally suspends javelin thrower Rohit Yadav for doping
'Doping will be made a criminal offence. We want to stop it by making a strong law so that people are scared to be involved in doping,' says Union Sports minister Vijay Goel.
The National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) has provisionally suspended Javelin thrower Rohit Yadav, after he tested positive for banned substance 'stanozolol'. This comes after a top Indian athlete was also handed a provisional suspension after testing positive for banned performance enhancing substance meldonium.
Union Sports minister Vijay Goel has said doping will be made a criminal offence as it will send a strong message across. "Doping will be made a criminal offence. We want to stop it by making a strong law so that people are scared to be involved in doping," said Goel.
Meldonium was tested positive in tennis player Maria Sharapova and was subsequently banned for 15 months. Earlier in April, Arjuna Awardee footballer Subrata Paul was tested positive for a banned substance.
Subrata failed a dope test conducted by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) in Mumbai when the Indian men's football team was going to Cambodia for a friendly match in February. The goalkeeper will now go for the confirmatory 'B' sample test.
Paul, who made his debut in 2007, has made a total of 60 appearances for the national team so far. Paul, nicknamed the ' Spiderman', has also won Nehru Cups (2007, 2009) and the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) Challenge Cup in 2008.