Former Asian Games gold medallist heptathlete Swapna Barman has been provisionally suspended for testing positive for a banned substance.
Swapna, who claimed the Asian Games heptathlon gold by achieving her personal best of 6,026 points in Jakarta in 2018, has returned a positive result for endogenous steroid boldenone, according to information published by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
An Asian champion in 2017, the 29-year-old athlete from Bengal was fourth in the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. She took a break in 2024 before finishing third at the National Open championships in Bengaluru last year.
Swapna, who entered politics prior to West Bengal Assembly elections earlier this year, announced her retirement from athletics on July 31.
Meanwhile, a NADA Disciplinary Panel has suspended former Asian silver medallist javelin thrower Shivpal Singh for 10 years for a second doping offence, testing positive for methandienone. The 31-year-old’s ineligibility started from March 27, 2025. He had got a four-year suspension for his first offence in 2022 but it was reduced to one year on appeal.
Sprinter M.V. Jilna has been provisionally suspended for her second offence. The 28-year-old tested positive for mephentermine. Jilna had completed her first suspension, for three years, in July 2025 before competing this year.
Middle distance runner Sanjana Singh, who had won two gold medals in the South Asian meet in Ranchi last year, has been handed a five-year suspension, from November 7, 2025, after returning a positive result for methandienone and oxandrolone.
Published – August 20, 2026 07:23 pm IST
