Triple jumper A.B. Arun’s National Games gold, which he stunningly won with a personal best effort of 16.79m in Goa in November, has been taken away. The 25-year-old had broken Asian Games bronze medallist Praveen Chithravel’s National Games record of 16.68m (2022) with his last-round effort in Goa.
The updated results of the National Games, now available on the Athletics Federation of India’s website, has marked Arun as DQ (disqualified) and has explained that it is for a dope offence. The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) had been a very active body in Goa. Services’ Karthik Unnikrishnan, who finished second with 16.57m, has now been moved up to the gold.
“My coach (Navy’s Shankar) told me about it, he sent me the updated results too but I have not got any intimation or letter about the issue,” the 25-year-old Arun, a Navy athlete who competed under the Services banner in the National Games, told The Hindu on Monday.
