NADA bans six Indian athletes for a year

Six athletes, including Asian Games double gold medallist Ashwini Akkunji, have been handed 12-month bans by the National Anti-Doping Agency's Disciplinary Panel.

The three-member panel, which included retired District Judge Dinesh Dayal, Dr NK Khadiya and former hockey Olympian Ashok Kumar, gave the athletes and NADA  a hearing before coming to its decision.

The athletes, Mandeep Kaur, AC Ashwini and Sini Jose, who were part of the 4x400 metres relay gold winning quartet at the Commonwealth and Asian Games, and Jauna Murmu, Priyanka Panwar and Tiana Mary Thomas, tested positive positive for anabolic steroids in May and June this year and were suspended, and their Ukrainian coach Yuri Ogorodnik was sacked.