By Sushant Singh

The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has updated its Provisional Suspensions and Sanctions List, with the latest version dated 8 September 2026.

The updated list includes eight athletes from athletics, among them Prakruthi Roopa Rao, the 2026 National Inter-State Championships bronze medallist in the women’s 200m.

Prakruthi Roopa Rao Provisionally Suspended

Karnataka’s Prakruthi Roopa Rao has been provisionally suspended by NADA in connection with an Anti-Doping Rule Violation involving Stanozolol and Drostanolone.

Prakruthi won bronze in the women’s 200m at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships, clocking 23.58 seconds.

Her time was inside the Asian Games qualifying mark of 23.70 seconds.

The other athletics athletes named in the updated list include Baljit Kaur, the women’s 400m winner at Indian Series 9 Final, and Jujhar Singh, the men’s 3000m steeplechase winner at Indian Series 2 Final.

Athletics Athletes on NADA’s Updated List

Athlete  Sport Prohibited Substance(s)
Ashu Ashu Athletics Mephentermine
Kaushal Kumar Athletics Mephentermine
Jujhar Singh Athletics EPO (Erythropoietin)
Bhagat Singh Athletics Mephentermine; Morphine
Baljit Kaur Athletics Metenolone; Oxandrolone
Nabeel Sahi MP Athletics Stanozolol; Drostanolone
Ravi Ravi Athletics Mephentermine; Meldonium
Prakruthi Roopa Athletics Stanozolol; Drostanolone

Vidhi Accepts Three-Year Ban

As per the sanctions list, Vidhi, a trainee at NIS Patiala who was named in India’s U23 Asian Athletics Championships squad but later missed the competition following an Anti-Doping Rule Violation, has accepted the sanction.

Vidhi has received a three-year period of ineligibility, with one year of relief, according to the sanctions list.

Sachin Poswal Handed Four-Year Ineligibility

Sachin Poswal, against whom the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has reportedly registered a case, has also been included in the sanctions list.

It is alleged that Poswa deceived the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) by generating multiple Unique Identification Numbers (UIDs) using fake or forged Aadhaar cards and false credentials.

He has been given a four-year period of ineligibility from 26 December 2028 to 25 December 2032, following the conclusion of an original four-year period of ineligibility that was in force from 31 January 2024.

Seema Punia Handed Two-Year Ban

Seema Punia, a Commonwealth Games and Asian Games discus medallist, has been handed a two-year ban after testing positive for a prohibited substance that she said was used during fertility treatment.

Punia disclosed that she had undergone IVF treatment, but had not completed the required Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) paperwork.

Coach Rakesh Kumar Handed Lifetime Ban

Among the cases, athletics coach Rakesh Kumar, reportedly from Bihar, has been handed a lifetime ban by NADA.

According to the sanction, Kumar was found to have violated Article 2.8, which concerns the administration or attempted administration of a prohibited substance or prohibited method to an athlete by an athlete’s support personnel.

The case is significant because it marks a rare and notable instance of an athletics coach receiving a lifetime ban for administering a prohibited substance to an athlete.