Indian athlete Sachin Chaudhary receives eight-year ban for second anti-doping rule violation

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has banned Para powerlifting athlete Sachin Chaudhary of India for a period of eight years for committing an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV), in breach of the IPC Anti-Doping Code (IPC IF Rules). This was the athlete’s second asserted ADRV.

Chaudhary returned adverse analytical findings (AAFs) for prohibited substances in a urine sample provided in-competition on 4 December 2021 during the men’s up to 97 kg event at the Tbilisi 2021 Para Powerlifting Senior World Championships.

The prohibited substances were metandienone and strychnine, which are included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2021 Prohibited List under the class S1.1 Anabolic Androgenic Steroids and class S6 Stimulants, respectively.

The athlete was provisionally suspended by the IPC on 31 January 2022 pending a resolution of his case. During the IPC’s investigation of the case, the athlete confirmed that he had continued coaching other athletes during his provisional suspension, thereby failing to respect the terms of that provisional suspension set out in Article 10.14.1 of the IPC IF Rules. As a result, his period of ineligibility will start from the date that the athlete is deemed to have waived their right to a hearing, to have admitted the violation and to have accepted the proposed consequences.