Shot-putter Manpreet Kaur fails dope test, might lose Asian Championship gold medal

Shot-putter Manpreet Kaur who brought glory to the nation by winning a gold at the recently-concluded 22nd Asian Athletics Championships has failed a dope test after testing positive for a banned stimulant.

Kaur, who won a gold medal in the recently-concluded Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, tested positive for stimulant dimethyl benzylamine. The test was conducted by National Anti-Doping Officials during the Federation Cup National Championships held in Patiala from June 1-4.

She has not been put under provisional suspension as dimethyl benzylamine is a specified substance under the WADA Code but India will lose the gold medal she won in Bhubaneswar if her confirmatory urine sample 'B' test also returns positive.

"Manpreet has tested positive in a test conducted during the Federation Cup in June. Her urine sample has been found to have stimulant dimethylbenzylamine," an Athletics Federation of India official said.

"We have been notified by NADA about this last night," he said. When contacted for a response, Manpreet's coach Karamjeet, who is also her husband, said: "We have not yet been told about anything." According to sources, this is the first time that an athlete has been caught for using dimethylbutylamine, which is structurally related to methylhexaneamine, a stimulant which was found to have been used by several sportspersons just before the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.