Indian hammer thrower Rachna Kumari banned for 12 years for doping

New Delhi: Indian hammer thrower Rachna Kumari was on Tuesday handed a 12-year ban for failing multiple dope tests by the international federation’s Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).

The 30-year-old Kumari’s dope sample, taken out-of-competition, was found to contain steroids Stanozolol, Metandienone, Dehydrochloromethyltestosterone (DHCMT) and Clenbuterol.

“The AIU has banned Kumari (K.M.) Rachna (India) for 12 years from 24 November, 2023 for the Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Stanozolol, Metandienone, DHCMT, Clenbuterol). DQ results from 24 September 2023,” the AIU posted on X.

The athlete’s results have been disqualified since September 24, 2023. This includes losing any titles, awards, medals, points, prizes, and appearance money.

This is Kumari’s second anti-doping rule violation.

AIU said Kumari had “served a four-year ban from March 18, 2015 to March 17, 2019 for committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation of the IAAF Anti-Doping Rules in relation to the presence of Metenolone in a Sample collected on February 10, 2015.”

Kumari was part of the 68-member Indian athletics team that competed in the Hangzhou Asian Games (September 23 to October 8). She had finished ninth in the women’s hammer throw event with an effort of 58.13m on September 29.

Kumari had won gold in the National Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar in June with a throw of 65.03m. She had also won a bronze medal in the recent Goa National Games with a throw of 59.85m. She has not won any international medal.