Athlete-coach duo of Sanjana-Sandeep handed provisional suspension for doping offence

Eighteen-year-old Sanjana Singh, who won two gold medals in the recent SAAF Senior Athletics Championships in Ranchi, and her coach Sandeep have been provisionally suspended for doping offences in a rare case of sanction on both the athlete and mentor.

Sanjana, who had won a gold each in the women's 1500m and 5000m races in the SAAF event in October, tested positive for two steroids -- methandienone and oxandrolone.

The athlete, who turns 19 on December 23, has been provisionally suspended for the doping offence, according to the latest update on the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) website.

The NADA also mentioned one athletics coach Sandeep (without surname) who has been handed provisional suspension for ''Trafficking or Attempted Trafficking of Prohibited Substances''.

It is learnt that the coach in question is Sandeep Maan under whom Sanjana trains in Rohtak, Haryana.

''Yes, it's correct,'' a well-placed source told PTI, when asked if the suspended coach in the NADA list is Sandeep Maan under whom Sanjana trains.

Middle-distance runner Himanshu Rathi has also been provisionally suspended after he tested positive for stimulant mephentermine. Triple jumper Sheena Varkey has accepted a three-year suspension for a Ligandrol (SARM) violation under the 'case resolution agreement'. The 33-year-old Kerala jumper had won silver at the Uttarakhand National Games this year.

Another athlete Basanti Kumari, a distance runner who participated in the 2025 World University Games in half marathon, tested positive for 19-norandrosterone.

Weightlifter Sankar Logeswaran, who won gold in the recent Khelo India University Games, was also provisionally suspended after testing positive for steroid Drostanolone.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)