Indian discus thrower Banvir Singh has been handed a seven-year ban by the National Anti-Doping Agency's Appeal Panel (ADAP) after failing a dope test. The appellate body increased the original punishment imposed by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP). Banvir had initially been banned for five years by the ADDP after testing positive for the prohibited anabolic steroid methandienone. The suspension came into effect from December 23, 2024.
In addition to the doping violation, the athlete was already serving a separate two-year period of ineligibility due to three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period, a sanction set to run until December 22 this year. The latest ruling from the ADAP has now extended his overall suspension to seven years. However, NADA has not disclosed the detailed reasoning behind the appeal panel's decision to enhance the punishment.
At 37, Banvir is among the oldest Indian athletes to face a lengthy doping suspension. In terms of achievements, Banvir's most notable performance came in 2022 when he secured second place at the Indian Grand Prix in Bhubaneswar. He otherwise did not register many top-three finishes during his career.
Meanwhile, long-distance runner Harendra Kumar has also been handed another four-year ban, effective from August 2 this year. Harendra had previously been suspended for four years beginning August 3, 2022 after testing positive for the banned substance Darbepoetin (DEPO).
