Para-athlete Simran Sharma’s guide runner Umar Saifi has tested positive for the banned steroid Drostanolone. He has been provisionally suspended, according to a list of athletes who failed the tests, released by National Anti Doping Agency ( NADA ) on October 9.
Simran recently clinched two medals at the World Para Athletics Championship in New Delhi, which concluded on October 5. She won gold with a personal best of 11.95 in T12 women’s 100m and silver in T12 women’s 200m clocking a stunning 24.46s with her guide Saifi. After his failed test, Simran is staring at the prospect of being stripped of both the medals.
Drostanolone is an anabolic steroid placed in the prohibited substances list of the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA ), which the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Anti Doping Code follows. The substance is banned due to its performance enhancing effects. It helps the body increase strength and muscles and also helps in fat reduction and faster recovery.
Guide runners are officially classified as Athlete Support Personal, according to the IPC Anti Doping Code. If the guide runner breaches anti doping rules, then the medals can be taken away.
“As guide runners fall under IPC rules, Simran’s Para World Championship medals will be taken away,” Satyanarayana Shimoga, the Chairperson Para Athletics , Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), confirmed to RevSportz.
Simran is a great prospect and already a Paralympic medallist and two-time world champion. Senior journalist K.P. Mohan expressed disappointment and stated that doping is out of control in athletics nowadays.
“It is unfortunate she is going to lose the medals because of her guide’s fault,” said Mohan. “But make no mistake, para-athletics have had its share of doping in the past. Athletics doping is today unbridled,” he added.
The 20-year-old Saifi comes for Muradnagar in Uttar Pradesh. He is a 100m and 200m athlete. Saifi was training at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, where Simran’s coach and husband Gajendra Singh asked him to join her as a guide runner. Last year at the Paris Paralympics, Simran was guided by Abhay Singh.
“Trust is necessary in this category, otherwise you can be disqualified . Without proper understanding, it’s not possible to gain results,” Saifi had told RevSportz just after the medal ceremony of the T12 women’s 200m.
Gajendra thinks it’s not going to affect Simran, since Saifi had competed in a competition for the able-bodied before the World Para Athletics Championship. “I am not aware of this development. Umar tested before the Worlds. He had competed in an able-bodied tournament. I don’t think this should affect our performance at the Worlds,” Gajendra was quoted as saying by The Bridge.
It’ll be unfortunate for the Simran Sharma as she is one of the most popular para athelete in the country. After this incident , now Saifi and Simran are likely to miss the felicitation ceremony for World Para Athletics Championship medal winners to be held at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday.
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