Javelin thrower Shivpal free to compete after NADA Appeal Panel reduces ban period from 4 years to 1

Top Indian javelin thrower Shivpal Singh's ban period was on Tuesday reduced from four years to one as the Appeal Panel of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) accepted his contention that "contaminated supplement" was behind his flunked dope test, his lawyer said.

The Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel of NADA on August 16 last year had sanctioned Shivpal, who participated in the Tokyo Olympics, for four years after his dope sample tested positive for a steroid in an out-of-competition test in September, 2021.

The ban period for the Uttar Pradesh athlete had begun from October 21, 2021 and after Tuesday's order, he is free to compete now.

"Shivpal had contented before the Appeal Panel that the positive test was not intentional rather it occurred due to fake/contaminated supplement. The said supplement was duly disclosed by the athlete in the Doping Control Form at the time of sample collection," his lawyer Parth Goswami told PTI.

"The fake supplement was purchased from a retailor namely Herbal Power Pharmacy and the supplement store was later found to be involved in sale of contaminated supplements and an FIR was registered against the retailor," Goswami added.

The supplement consumed by Shivpal was tested in the National Dope Testing Laboratory.

"The NDTL confirmed the supplements to be contaminated and also confirmed the presence of Methandienone which was found in the sample of the athlete," Goswami said.

Shivpal, through his lawyers, contended that he had exercised due care and caution and checked the label of the supplement which did not disclose any prohibited substance.

"The Appeal Panel held that it was satisfied that Shivpal did basic research and checks in the form of internet search and checking contents before taking the supplement and the Panel also held that Shivpal was neither reckless nor negligent."

Goswami also claimed that the Appeal Panel, headed by Supreme Court advocate Abhinav Mukerji, also directed the NADA to ensure that "fake supplements" do not reach the athletes in the country.

He said the NADA was also told to frame a policy to certify shops throughout the country as safe sources from where the athletes can purchase supplements without fear.

Shivpal was placed under provisional suspension in October, 2021 after he failed an out-of-competition test. He had tested positive for banned substance Metandieonone.

In fact, the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel gave the decision in August last year and surprisingly there was no detailed order uploaded on the website of the National Anti-Doping Agency.

Shivpal's test was conducted after the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 when there was no national camp in operation.

His name was there in the list of athletes announced by the Sports Authority of India for the camp from October 15 to December 31, 2021. But he was dropped when the camp was extended till March 31 last year.

Shivpal won a silver medal in the 2019 Asian Championships in Doha with a throw of 86.23m, which remained his personal best effort.

In the Tokyo Olympics, he finished 12th in the second qualification round group and 27th overall with a best throw of 76.40m. Since then, he has not taken part in any event.