Indian Volleyball Player Sahil Kumar's Suspension Lifted Temporarily

New Delhi, Oct 3 (PTI) - In a significant, although temporary, relief for Indian volleyball player Sahil Kumar, the NADA Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) has lifted his provisional suspension after failing a dope test. The panel indicated that the "violation in question likely stemmed from the consumption of a contaminated product".

The interim decision by the ADDP of the National Anti-Doping Agency, issued on October 1, allows Kumar to compete for Hyderabad Black Hawks in the Prime Volleyball League Season 4 against Calicut Heroes on Thursday.

Sahil Kumar's out-of-competition sample, collected on May 14 in Bengaluru, showed the presence of GW1516 (Cardarine), metabolic modulators, Oxandrolone (a synthetic anabolic steroid), and its metabolites. These substances are mentioned in the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) prohibited list as non-specified substances.

Kumar had been provisionally suspended on June 12, prompting him to seek a provisional hearing in his defense.

Represented by counsel advocate Parth Goswami during the hearing, Kumar sought urgent relief to enable participation in the Prime Volleyball League.

Kumar had his food supplements analyzed at the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), which is WADA accredited.

"Based on the evidence presented and after hearing both sides, the Panel is convinced that the Athlete has effectively demonstrated that the violation in question likely originated from a contaminated product. This is supported by findings from the WADA accredited lab, which identified traces of banned substances in both sealed and unsealed containers from the same batch and lot number of the supplements," the ADDP stated in its interim decision.

"Moreover, the supplement's packaging does not disclose the presence of prohibited substances. Hence, the Panel has deemed it suitable to lift the provisional suspension until the next hearing date, allowing the Athlete to compete in the upcoming matches. However, any medals and accolades earned by the Athlete during this time will be subject to the final outcome of the case," noted the order dated October 1.

The matter is scheduled for review again on November 1.

"We had Sahil's supplements tested at the NDTL, and the tests confirmed that the banned substances in his sample originated from the supplement, although not listed on the label," Goswami informed PTI.

"We requested an urgent hearing before the NADA panel, which resulted in the lifting of his provisional suspension, allowing him to represent Hyderabad Black Hawks in the Prime Volleyball League."

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