Still serving doping ban, Dipa Karmakar named in national camp list; GFI allows backdoor entry despite gymnast missing mandatory trials | More sports News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Have you ever heard of an athlete serving a ban period for doping, been identified as a core probable and included in the national camp for international tournaments?
There is no precedence of this in Indian sports, and the Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI) has earned this dubious distinction by picking dope-tainted Dipa Karmakar for the national camp, scheduled from May 23. Her name is on the list of core probables for the women’s artistic event for the upcoming Asian Championships, Asian Games and other international meets.
The ‘Produnova’ girl, who changed the face of gymnastics in India after her ground-breaking fourth-place finish in the women’s vault final at the Rio Olympics 2016, is currently serving a 21-month suspension for anti-doping violation which will end on July 10. She was sanctioned by the International Testing Agency (ITA) in early February this year after her dope sample collected out-of-competition on October 11, 2021 returned positive for Higenamine – a prohibited substance under the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) code.
“The ITA confirms that Dipa Karmakar has been suspended for a 21-month period, effective until 10 July 2023 after testing positive for Higenamine (S3 Beta-2 Agonists as per the Wada prohibited list). The positive sample was collected on behalf of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) in the scope of an out-of-competition control on 11 October 2021,” the ITA had said in its statement released on February 3.
GFI, while releasing the names of core probables selected on May 15, had specifically asked for a valid FIG licence as a must requirement for selection in the camp. “A valid FIG licence for gymnasts is a must,” said the GFI’s communication, a copy of which is with TOI.

Dipa doesn’t hold an FIG licence anymore as it was revoked by the sport’s international federation on the grounds of her doping failure. A visit to the FIG website still lists Dipa as a ‘suspended’ gymnast.
Still, bypassing every rule for Dipa, even overlooking her dope suspension, the GFI ensured a “backdoor entry” for the Tripura gymnast by selecting her as a core probable. That too, when Dipa, along with another Tripura girl Protistha Samanta – did not appear for the mandatory selection trials held on May 5-6 in Bhubaneswar to pick the core probables who will represent India at the Paris Olympics qualifying meets and other international tournaments.
In India, only 13 gymnasts in the women’s artistic discipline have valid FIG licences namely Nishka Agarwal, Aruna Budda Reddy, Papiya Das, Pranati Das, Bidisha Gayen, Preet Sukhnoor Kaur, Ruthuja Nataraj, Pranati Nayak, Sara Rawool, Protistha Samanta, Krisha Shah, Ananya Shetty and Shraddha Talekar.

TOI tried to contact GFI president Sudhir Mittal for his comments, but he didn’t respond to calls. A message sent to his personal whatsapp chat also didn’t elicit any response.
According to sources, Dipa’s name has been included to ensure her selection for the Asian Games, scheduled in Hangzhou from September 23 to October 8. The team will be picked from the core probables named and, considering Dipa’s ban is coming to an end on July 10, the GFI has planned to name her in the contingent. The last date to send the final entries to Asiad organisers is July 15.

“Dipa can’t be a part of any gymnastics-related activity in India till July 10 when her suspension will end. She didn’t participate in trials to escape the scrutiny because she is still serving her doping suspension. This whole exercise of selecting Dipa as a core probable has been done to ensure she participates at the Asiad and Olympic qualifiers. The GFI should have added her name in the list, but only after her suspension period is over,” a source in the federation said.