Former Asian Games Gold Medalist Seema Punia Handed 16-Month Doping Ban

• Former Asian Games gold medalist discus thrower Seema Punia received a 16-month suspension for a doping violation.
• Punia's ban, effective November 10, was announced by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
• This is Punia's third doping violation, with previous infractions including one at the junior level.
• Her last competition was the Hangzhou Asian Games in October 2023, where she won a bronze medal.
• NADA also announced suspensions for other athletes, including Pooja Yadav, Manjeet Kumar, and Nikesh Dhanraj Rathod, for doping violations.

Why It Matters: Top athlete's doping ban highlights persistent integrity issues in sports.