Asian Games Medallist Manju Bala Receives Five-Year Ban for Doping Violation

New Delhi — Indian hammer thrower Manju Bala, a bronze medallist at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, has been banned for five years by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) after she tested positive for prohibited substances.

One of India’s most seasoned throwers, Manju was found guilty of using dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone (an anabolic steroid) and SARMS LGD-4033 (ligandrol) — both substances banned under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code.

Her positive test result was first disclosed by NADA in September 2024, and the ADDP’s final ruling, issued in October 2025, confirmed the suspension. The five-year ban will be effective from July 10, 2024, rendering the 35-year-old ineligible to compete in any national or international event until mid-2029. Once regarded as one of India’s top female hammer throwers, Manju had represented the country at numerous continental meets.

The ADDP also revealed several other doping sanctions across sports in its latest report. Mohan Saini was banned for four years starting October 14, 2025, for a separate violation.

In bodybuilding, Gopala Krishnan, Amit Kumar, and Rajvardhan Sanjay Waskar received six-year bans, while Shubham Mahara was handed a four-year suspension.

In other disciplines, boxer Sumit received a two-year ban, while canoeist Nitin Verma and basketball player Shivendra Pandey were banned for four and six years, respectively, after testing positive for banned substances.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Doping Appeal Panel (ADAP) upheld the four-year suspension imposed in 2024 on sprinter Himani Chandel, rejecting her appeal. The panel found no procedural or substantive reason to overturn the initial decision, reaffirming NADA’s firm stance against doping violations.

With inputs from IANS