New Delhi, 3 December (H.S.): Eighteen-year-old athlete Sanjana Singh, who clinched gold medals in the women's 1500m and 5000m at the recent South Asian Athletics Senior Championships in Ranchi, along with her coach Sandeep Maan, face provisional suspension for doping violations—a rare instance where both athlete and mentor have been sanctioned.

Singh's sample tested positive for two banned steroids, methandienone and oxandrolone, prompting action by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), which listed her on its website ahead of her 19th birthday on December 23. Maan received suspension for alleged trafficking or attempted trafficking of prohibited substances, linked to his training of Singh in Rohtak, Haryana.

Middle-distance runner Himanshu Rathi also faces provisional suspension after testing positive for stimulant mephentermine, while triple jumper Sheena Varkey from Kerala accepted a three-year ban for Ligandrol violation under a case resolution agreement following her silver at the Uttarakhand National Games.

Distance runner Basanti Kumari, who competed in the 2025 World University Games marathon, tested positive for 19-norandrosterone, and weightlifter Shankar Logeswaran—who won gold at the Khelo India University Games—earned provisional suspension for Drostanolone steroid.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar