In yet another setback, one half of the lightweight men’s double sculls team that won a historic World Cup medal in rowing has been provisionally suspended for doping.
Army man Lakshay has been suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) after his sample showed presence of stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. Lakshay and Ujjwal Kumar Singh had won India’s first ever gold medal at the World Rowing Cup III in Switzerland last month.
The duo was a big medal prospect for the 2026 Asian Games scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19.
Lakshay has been issued with a notice for an out-of-competition test of a sample taken in Pune on May 25. If the charges stick, Lakshay is looking at a four-year suspension. Further, all results from the date of the sample collection will be disqualified, including the gold medal.
“It is hereby informed to you that your Sample A was tested at the WADA accredited laboratory National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), New Delhi in accordance with the procedures set out in WADA’s international standard for laboratories and was returned with an adverse analytical finding (AAF),” the notice stated.
“In accordance with article 7.4.1 of the NADR 2021, you are hereby provisionally suspended with immediate effect and until the resolution of the case,” the notice added.
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