New Delhi: The Indian athletics contingent’s preparations for the upcoming Asian Games were dealt a severe blow after steeplechase runner Naveen Dagar tested positive for banned substance meldonium during the Inter-State Athletics Meet in Guwahati. The result of the sample taken during the competition was made available, Thursday.
Dagar is a bronze medallist from the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and breached the qualifying mark of 8:41 seconds during the Guwahati meet.
It is learnt that Dagar was handed provisional suspension by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), July 23 after he tested positive for the banned substance.
“AFI has suspended Dagar, who was undergoing high altitude training with other middle and long-distance runners in Bhutan. He has tested positive for meldonium. He is now awaiting his B sample report,” a source close to the athlete told this agency, Thursday.
Neither AFI nor NADA issued any official statement. It is a major setback for the AFI as two athletes have so far tested positive for banned substances this week. The other one to suffer the same fate was javelin thrower Amit Kumar. With Dagar’s suspension, India will go unrepresented in the 3000m race.
