Delhi judoka suspended

New Delhi, August 25

A Delhi-based judoka, Deepanshu Balyan, has been suspended for one year and 10 months after his sample came back positive for a diuretic. Balyan’s urine sample was taken during the selection trials for the Junior Asian Championships on June 12 last year. His samples showed the presence of furosemide, which can be used as a masking agent and is a specified substance as per WADA’s prohibited list.

As per Balyan’s submission, the judoka used a drug to check high blood pressure, which was prescribed by a doctor. Balyan also claimed that he didn’t receive the notice on 19 July 2019 but only got to know of his adverse analytical report on 16 September 2019 after receiving a call from the NADA office. The anti-doping disciplinary panel agreed with the athlete’s counsel that there was a delay in serving the notice by NADA and reduced the ineligibility period from two years to one year and 10 months. — TNS