India Faces Medal Loss at WPAC 2025 as Visually Impaired Runner’s Guide Suspended for Doping

New Delhi – India’s medal count from the recently concluded World Para Athletics Championships (WPAC) 2025 may take a hit after the National Anti-Doping Authority (NADA) provisionally suspended Umar Saifi, the guide runner of para-athlete Simran Sharma, for a doping violation, according to media reports.

Saifi, who guided Simran Sharma to gold in the women’s 100m and silver in the 200m in the T12 category (for athletes with moderate visual impairment), tested positive for the banned steroid Drostanolone. The sample was collected before the championship, held from September 27 to October 5 in New Delhi.

As per para-athletics regulations, both the visually impaired runner and the guide are considered a single unit. Therefore, Saifi’s suspension could lead to Simran losing her two medals, which would also affect India’s overall medal tally and position in the rankings.

The revelation has sparked questions about how Saifi was allowed to participate in the championships despite testing positive before the event.

The timing of NADA’s announcement was particularly awkward, coming just a day before the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports was scheduled to felicitate India’s medal winners from the event. Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya is set to preside over the ceremony on Saturday.

India had finished the championship with an impressive 22 medals. However, following the doping revelation, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) decided to turn the felicitation event at New Delhi’s Dhyan Chand National Stadium into a closed-door function, barring media coverage.

According to reports, a list of other potential doping offenders has been forwarded to the Sports Ministry. A senior official from the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) has recommended that all such individuals be excluded from the felicitation ceremony.

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