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Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar has been suspended for 21 months by the International Testing Agency (ITA) on Friday for failing a dope test taken in October 2021.
The suspension is already in effect since 2021 and will last for 21 months until July 2023, during which she cannot participate in any gymnastic-related events on the international stage for India.
The ITA, leading an independent anti-doping program for @gymnastics, reports that Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar has been sanctioned with a 21-month period of ineligibility after testing positive for the prohibited substance higenamine.
▶️ https://t.co/SohYXJbV2r pic.twitter.com/a2fg2qNszV
— International Testing Agency (@IntTestAgency) February 3, 2023
“The ITA confirms that Dipa Karmakar has been suspended for a 21-month period, effective until 10 July 2023 after testing positive for higenamine (S3. Beta-2 Agonists as per the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list). The positive sample was collected on behalf of the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) in the scope of an out-of-competition control on 11 October 2021,” said ITA in an official statement.
“The case was resolved via a case resolution agreement pursuant to article 10.8.2 of the FIG Anti-Doping Rules (FIG ADR, and equivalent provision in the World Anti-Doping Code). The athlete’s results have been disqualified from 11 October 2021 onwards.”
According to the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), “higenamine is a substance found in a variety of plant sources and herbs used for traditional medicine. Research indicates that higenamine has mixed adrenergic receptor activity, meaning it may act as a general stimulant. It may be found in some pre-workout, energy, or weight-loss products.”
After reports of her suspension, Dipa announced the resolution of her dispute with the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) on Saturday over a provisional suspension for testing positive for a banned substance higenamine after “unknowingly” ingesting it in October 2021.
— Dipa Karmakar (@DipaKarmakar) February 4, 2023
Dipa clarified that she had accepted the provisional suspension with the hope of a swift resolution when her sample from an out-of-competition test had returned positive. However, Dipa claimed that she had “unknowingly ingested the banned substance for which she could not determine the source of.”
“Today marks the end of one of the longest battles I have fought for myself and my career.
“In October 2021, my sample was obtained for out-of-competition testing and sent for assessment. The result was positive for a banned substance which I unknowingly ingested and could not determine the source of. I decided to take a provisional suspension with the hope of a swift resolution with the international federation, Dipa informed in a tweet on Saturday.
“I am happy that the matter has been amicably resolved. My suspension has been reduced by three months and back-dated by 25 months, allowing me to return to the sport I love in July 2023.”
29-year-old Dipa comes from Tripura and is among India’s most notable gymnasts in recent times. She first came into the limelight at the 2014 Commonwealth Games where she became the first Indian woman to win a Commonwealth Games gymnastics medal after winning the bronze medal in the women’s vault final.
She also won a bronze medal at the Asian Championships and later became the first Indian gymnast to qualify for a final stage at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships 2015. She finished fifth in the event.
Dipa’s biggest achievement was a fourth-place finish at the Rio Olympics. At the big stage, she successfully performed a difficult Produnova vault but missed out on a medal. She missed the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 as she could not qualify due to an injury and cancellation of the Asian Championship.
Her plans to prepare for the 2022 season and the Commonwealth and Asian Games were also hampered by the doping suspension.
Further in her tweet, she denied the reports that she was under a two-year suspension over a whereabouts violation.
“Multiple media reports have speculated that I was under a 2-year suspension for failing to inform WADA of my whereabouts through the Anti-Doping Administration Management System (ADAMS). However, I would like to clarify that these are false and inaccurate and do not reveal the true facts and nature of the matter,” she added.
With the suspension ending in July 2023, Dipa may not have enough time to qualify for the Asian Games in September this year but she can definitely attempt to make it to next year’s Paris Olympics.
Dipa will miss out on the Apparatus World Cup Series tournaments (Cottbus, Doha, Baku, and Cairo) as well as at least three of the six World Challenge Cup Series. The 2023 World Championships in Antwerp could serve as the returning platform for Dipa in October. The Championships will also serve as the qualification for the Paris Olympics.
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