Jhuma Khatun agrees to doping charge, banned for 4 years

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 25

Middle-distance runner Jhuma Khatun has been banned for four years after she admitted to anti-doping rule violations to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). Jhuma’s sample taken during the 2018 National Inter-State Athletics Championships showed presence of dehydrochloromethyl testosterone, a banned substance.

Jhuma won a bronze medal in both the 1500 and 5000m competitions at the Guwahati Championships.

Interestingly, Jhuma’s sample showed no adverse analytical finding (AAF) when it was tested at New Delhi’s National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), but when retested in World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory in Montreal, Canada, it showed presence of the prohibitive substance.

Accordingly, Jhuma was issued a provisional suspension on November 21, 2018. But after acknowledging the order, Jhuma surrendered her right to have the B sample analysed.

Jhuma while agreeing to the AAF, said she was not sure how the steroid entered her body. The AIU then asked for her medical records, which again failed to explain how the banned substance was found in her sample.

The AIU, while serving a notice on Jhuma for committing anti-doping rule violations, gave her an opportunity to admit to the charge or to request a hearing before a disciplinary tribunal, and Jhuma admitted to the charge.

“On 13 April 2020, the athlete admitted to the anti-doping rule violations and accepted the consequences proposed by the AIU (including a period of ineligibility of four years by returning a signed admission of anti-doping rule violation and acceptance of sanction form,” stated the AIU order posted on its website.

“On the basis that the athlete has admitted to committing anti-doping rule violations under Article 2.1 ADR and Article 2.2 ADR, the AIU confirms by this decision the following consequences for a first anti-doping rule violation: a period of Ineligibility of four (4) years commencing June 29, 2018, pursuant to Articles 10.2.1(a) ADR and Article 10.10.2(c) ADR; and disqualification of the athlete’s results at the ‘58th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships’ and from June 29, 2018 until November 21, 2018 with all resulting consequences, including the forfeiture of any titles, awards, medals, points and prize and appearance money pursuant to Articles 9 and 10.8 ADR,” the order added.