Two-time Commonwealth Games champion Indian weightlifter Sanjita Chanu has been banned for four years by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for failing a dope test last year. Sanjita had tested positive for a metabolite of the anabolic steroid - Drostanolone, which is on the banned list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) during the National Games in Gujarat in September-October last year. The four-year ban is a big blow to Chanu's career.

Chanu banned for four years
Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Chief Sahdev Yadav confirmed that Sanjita has been banned. He said yes, Sanjita has been banned for four years by NADA. This is a big blow for Sanjita. He had won a silver medal in the National Games which has been snatched away. His reaction to this new development could not be obtained. He won the gold medal in the 48 kg weight category at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014. In 2018, he won the gold medal in Gold Coast in the 53 kg category. The Manipur player still has the option of appealing against the decision but it is not certain whether she will do so.

Sanjita Chanu gave this statement
Sanjita had told PTI in January that I have had this experience before, so why would I dope again? I don't know whether I will appeal or not because I will lose in both cases. If I appeal, it will take time to clear my name and I will lose my chance to qualify for Olympics and Asian Games. If I lose, I will be suspended. This is not the first time that the 2011 Asian Championships bronze medalist is facing a doping controversy. He was earlier banned by the International Weightlifting Federation in 2018 after testing positive for the anabolic steroid testosterone ahead of the World Championships in the US in November 2017. The world body, however, cleared him of the charges in 2020.

There has been a relationship with controversies earlier also
Sanjita Chanu had said that I have gone through this kind of situation earlier also but I do not understand how this happened? Till this incident, I was very careful about my food and everything I did. I was also careful about my supplements and I asked if they were dope free.