NEW DELHI: Have you ever heard of an athlete serving a ban interval for doping, been recognized as a core possible and included within the nationwide camp for worldwide tournaments?
There is not any priority of this in Indian sports activities, and the Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI) has earned this doubtful distinction by choosing dope-tainted Dipa Karmakar for the nationwide camp, scheduled from May 23. Her identify is on the checklist of core probables for the ladies’s creative occasion for the upcoming Asian Championships, Asian Games and different worldwide meets.
The ‘Produnova’ lady, who modified the face of gymnastics in India after her ground-breaking fourth-place end within the ladies’s vault last on the Rio Olympics 2016, is presently serving a 21-month suspension for anti-doping violation which can finish on July 10. She was sanctioned by the International Testing Agency (ITA) in early February this yr after her dope pattern collected out-of-competition on October 11, 2021 returned constructive for Higenamine – a prohibited substance below the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) code.
“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 Wada prohibited list). The positive sample was collected on behalf of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) in the scope of an out-of-competition control on 11 October 2021,” the ITA had stated in its assertion launched on February 3.
GFI, whereas releasing the names of core probables chosen on May 15, had particularly requested for a legitimate FIG licence as a should requirement for choice within the camp. “A valid FIG licence for gymnasts is a must,” stated the GFI’s communication, a replica of which is with TOI.

Dipa doesn’t maintain an FIG licence anymore because it was revoked by the game’s worldwide federation on the grounds of her doping failure. A go to to the FIG web site nonetheless lists Dipa as a ‘suspended’ gymnast.
Still, bypassing each rule for Dipa, even overlooking her dope suspension, the GFI ensured a “backdoor entry” for the Tripura gymnast by choosing her as a core possible. That too, when Dipa, together with one other Tripura lady Protistha Samanta – didn’t seem for the necessary choice trials held on May 5-6 in Bhubaneswar to select the core probables who will signify India on the Paris Olympics qualifying meets and different worldwide tournaments.
In India, solely 13 gymnasts within the ladies’s creative self-discipline have legitimate FIG licences specifically Nishka Agarwal, Aruna Budda Reddy, Papiya Das, Pranati Das, Bidisha Gayen, Preet Sukhnoor Kaur, Ruthuja Nataraj, Pranati Nayak, Sara Rawool, Protistha Samanta, Krisha Shah, Ananya Shetty and Shraddha Talekar.

TOI tried to contact GFI president Sudhir Mittal for his feedback, however he didn’t reply to calls. A message despatched to his private whatsapp chat additionally didn’t elicit any response.
According to sources, Dipa’s identify has been included to make sure her choice for the Asian Games, scheduled in Hangzhou from September 23 to October 8. The group can be picked from the core probables named and, contemplating Dipa’s ban is coming to an finish on July 10, the GFI has deliberate to call her within the contingent. The final date to ship the ultimate entries to Asiad organisers is July 15.

“Dipa can’t be a part of any gymnastics-related activity in India till July 10 when her suspension will end. She didn’t participate in trials to escape the scrutiny because she is still serving her doping suspension. This whole exercise of selecting Dipa as a core probable has been done to ensure she participates at the Asiad and Olympic qualifiers. The GFI should have added her name in the list, but only after her suspension period is over,” a supply within the federation stated.