3 min readApr 20, 2025 07:00 AM IST
First published on: Apr 20, 2025 at 07:00 AM IST
The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), in its list of banned athletes and officials, included the names of Junior National Athletics coach Ramesh Nagapuri along with Rakesh (Athletics), and Karamveer Singh (Judo/Athletics) and provided the reason of ‘administration of prohibited substances’ and ‘complicity’ for their suspension.
Ramesh, the current junior national coach employed by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and a Dronacharya awardee, has been suspended for violation of article 2.9 of the National Anti-Doping Rules. The article 2.9 of NADA’s rule book states that assisting or encouraging an athlete to take prohibited substances comes under violation of anti-doping rules.
The article, that comes under the ‘complicity’ subsection of NADA’s rules state: “Assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, conspiring, covering up or any other type of intentional complicity along with attempted complicity involving an anti-doping rule violation.” The article
Ramesh, who has also coached 100m sprinter and National Record holder Dutee Chand in the past, was suspended after he allegedly helped athletes evade the NADA officials from the Sports Authority of India, Hyderabad Center, when the officials came to collect samples of the athletes training there.
The two athletes who escaped from the premises when officials arrived, are also on the suspension list following the incident and are charged with evasion, violating the article 2.3 of the NADA rule book.
Ramesh was not present with the U-18 Indian athletics team that traveled to Saudi Arabia for the Asian Youth Athletics Championships earlier this week.
While the list doesn’t clarify the ban period or the magnitude of the ban, article 10.3.4 of the NADA rule book reads, “For violations of Article 2.9, the period of ineligibility imposed shall be a minimum of two (2) years, up to lifetime ineligibility, depending on the seriousness of the violation.”
In India, coaches are rarely penalized by NADA for doping charges faced by their athletes. In the past, NADA has suspended two coaches due to their involvement in doping. In 2022, Mumbai-based athletics coach Mickey Menezes was banned for injecting a prohibited substance into his trainee while Judo coach Naresh Arya was banned in 2024 for obstructing a National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) official from collecting samples of his trainees and reportedly physically assaulting the official.
NADA rules in effect
2.8: Administration or Attempted Administration by an Athlete or Other Person to any Athlete In-Competition of any Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method, or Administration or Attempted Administration to any Athlete Out-of-Competition of any Prohibited Substance or any Prohibited Method that is Prohibited Out-of-Competition
2.9: Complicity or Attempted Complicity by an Athlete or Other Person
2.3: Evading Sample collection; or refusing or failing to submit to Sample collection without compelling justification after notification by a duly authorized Person.
Ramesh, the current junior national coach employed by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and a Dronacharya awardee, has been suspended for violation of article 2.9 of the National Anti-Doping Rules. (Representative photo) 
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