Indian compound archer Prathamesh Jawkar, who won a gold medal in the team event at the 2022 Asian Games, has accepted a two-year ban for committing three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period, the International Testing Agency (ITA) announced on Saturday.
Details of the Ban
The ITA, which manages anti-doping matters on behalf of World Archery, confirmed that the 22-year-old archer did not challenge the anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) and agreed to the proposed consequences. The period of ineligibility runs from April 19, 2026, to April 18, 2028. Additionally, all of Jawkar's individual competitive results from October 1, 2025, onward have been disqualified, including forfeiture of any medals, points, and prizes.
Whereabouts Failures Explained
Athletes in the Registered Testing Pool (RTP), such as Jawkar, are required to provide daily whereabouts information, including a specific 60-minute time slot during which they must be available for testing. This allows anti-doping organizations to conduct unannounced out-of-competition tests. Any combination of three missed tests or filing failures within a 12-month period constitutes an ADRV under Article 2.4 of the World Archery anti-doping rules and the World Anti-Doping Code.
Impact on Career
Jawkar was part of the gold-winning compound men's team at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, alongside Ojas Pravin Deotale and Abhishek Verma. He also won individual and team golds at the Shanghai and Paris World Cups in 2023. However, he was not selected for the 12-member Indian archery squad for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, scheduled for September-October.
Appeal Process
The decision can be challenged before the appeals division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) by parties with a right of appeal, in accordance with Article 13.2.3 of the World Archery anti-doping rules.
