Indian Javelin Thrower DP Manu Provisionally Suspended for Doping Violation: PTI Update

Indian javelin thrower DP Manu, once seen as a hopeful for the upcoming Olympics, has been hit with a major setback. The 24-year-old athlete has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency after testing positive for an anabolic steroid.

Manu, who won a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Championships, was on track to qualify for the Olympics through the world ranking quota. However, his dreams have been dashed with this latest development.

The positive test came during the Indian Grand Prix in April, leading to Manu being asked to stay away from competitions by the Athletics Federation of India on the instructions of NADA.

AFI president Adille Sumariwalla confirmed that NADA has instructed the federation to stop Manu from competing, although the details of the doping offense are still unclear.

Despite his suspension, Manu had been performing well in recent competitions, finishing second behind Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra in the Federation Cup and winning gold in the Taiwan Athletics Open.

With the qualification deadline for the Paris Olympics looming, Manu was in a good position to secure a spot, sitting 15th in the World Athletics Road to Paris list. However, with his suspension, his chances have been dashed.

It is a disappointing turn of events for Manu, who was on the cusp of Olympic qualification. The news serves as a reminder of the importance of clean competition in sports and the consequences of doping violations.