NEW DELHI:
Indian javelin
thrower
DP Manu
faces a significant setback in his pursuit of Olympic qualification. The
Athletics
Federation of India (AFI), acting on the instructions of the
National Anti-Doping Agency
(NADA), has provisionally suspended Manu from competition due to a suspected anti-doping rule violation.
While the specifics of the alleged violation remain undisclosed, AFI President
Adille Sumariwalla
confirmed that NADA instructed the federation to halt Manu's participation in competitions.
The athlete himself is reportedly seeking clarification from NADA regarding the details of the case.
"There could be something like that, but we still don't know what is the actual thing. There was a phone call to AFI office (from the NADA) yesterday that he (Manu) be stopped from competitions,"
Sumariwalla
said, as per PTI.
This development casts a shadow over Manu's Olympic aspirations. The 24-year-old, who secured a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Championships, was well-positioned to qualify for the
Paris Olympics
through the world ranking quota.
Ranked 15th on the World Athletics Road to Paris list, Manu seemed poised to join compatriots
Neeraj Chopra
and Kishore Jena, both of whom have already achieved the automatic qualification standard.
Manu's recent performances, including a second-place finish behind Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra at the Federation Cup and a gold medal at the Taiwan Athletics Open, highlighted his potential to excel on the international stage. However, the ongoing investigation throws his immediate future into uncertainty.
With the qualification deadline for the Paris Olympics looming on June 30th, Manu faces a race against time to resolve the situation and potentially salvage his Olympic dreams. The outcome of the NADA investigation will be crucial in determining his eligibility to compete and represent India in Paris.
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