NADA update on sprinter Hima Das' suspension creates confusion

New Delhi: Asian Games gold medallist sprinter Hima Das, who was exonerated for a 'whereabouts' failure by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), was handed a retrospective suspension by the same body in an unusual turn of events.

The 16-month suspension period ran from July 22, 2023 to November 21, 2024 and the athlete is now free to take part in tournaments but what has created a flutter is that the she had been competing in events as recently as in June this year.

NADA has recently announced that she was suspended by its anti-doping panels for failing to provide her whereabouts.

Known as the 'Dhing Express', she was handed the suspension under a case resolution agreement as per the NADA website. She is currently training in Thiruvananthapuram.

The timeline around her suspension has created confusion as the athlete has been competing since April this year, including participating in the Indian Grand Prix meet in Bengaluru and the National Inter-State meet in Panchkula in June even as her suspension was till November 21, 2024.

The most intriguing thing is that she ran four races in June.

When PTI reached out to her after her training session on Wednesday, Hima declined to comment on the issue. An Athletics Federation of India (AFI) source also confirmed that her suspension got over in November.

A 'case resolution agreement' is made between the anti-doping agency and the athlete when both parties consent, and the athlete agrees to accept the consequences imposed without pursuing further appeals.

The development comes weeks after Hima received an all-clear from the NADA's Anti-Doping Appeal Panel (ADAP) which exonerated her from doping charges arising out of three whereabouts failures in 12 months.

No details were provided by the agency on how the panels ( Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel and the Anti-Doping Appeal Panel) arrived at their conclusion that there was no 'whereabouts' failure on her part.

The 24-year-old Hima was last year provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for three whereabouts failures in 12 months. She was, however, cleared by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) following a hearing in March.

She returned to action in 200m at the Indian Grand Prix 1 in Bengaluru on April 30.

In a September 4 decision, the Anti-Doping Appeal Panel upheld the Disciplinary Panel's ruling to clear her of doping charges.