Jaipal Singh, the national super heavyweight champion, has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for banned substances in a drug test.
The test revealed the presence of anabolic androgenic steroids, as well as hormone and metabolic modulators during the Senior National Boxing Championships held in Shillong last month, as reported by Sportstar.
In December, Jaipal, a resident of Punjab, achieved an unexpected victory over Commonwealth Games silver medallist Sagar Ahlawat in the +92kg final bout at the National championships in Shillong. The boxer was immediately suspended on December 27 and subsequently removed from the National camp.
The knockout decision has posed a setback for Sagar, who now needs to take a month’s rest while top Indian boxers prepare for the Olympic qualifier scheduled to start on February 29.
Jaipal Singh was suspended by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) with immediate effect on December 27, leading to his exclusion from the national camp. Sagar Ahlawat, after his defeat, had to abstain from action for a month before returning to the national camp recently to prepare for the Olympic qualifier.
Kartik, another boxer from Punjab, also tested positive for a banned substance, preventing his participation in the Strandja Memorial event last year. Kartik had secured the 86kg national title in 2022 in Hisar.