ATK Mohun Bagan’s Ashutosh Mehta, who had also made one international appearance, became the first Indian Super League player to be handed a ban for doping as he has been suspended for two years by the NADA's Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel for flunking a dope test. (More Football News)
☂Mehta tested positive for morphine (narcotics) -- specified substance -- in the in-competition test conducted on February 8 during an ISL match played in Goa. The 31-year-old player accepted provisional suspension, which was optional in his case, on June 24.
♛Mehta pleaded that he did not have the intention to consume narcotic substance and he wanted the benefit of substantial assistance clause. In his defence, he claimed that a teammate of his ‘allegedly administered him with opium, a source of morphine in the form of ‘Kaala Daba’ (literally translating to 'Black Medicine') in pretext of it being an Ayurvedic Medicine’.
🎉“...it is held that the athlete has violated Art 2.1 and 2.2 of NADA ADR 2021. Furthermore, the panel is of the view that the anti-doping violation was unintentional...,” the panel headed by Chaitanya Mahajan said in the order.
𒐪“We accordingly hold that the athlete is liable for a period of ineligibility of two years.” The Panel directed that Mehta be given credit of his provisional suspension.
🍎Former India goalkeeper Subrata Paul was handed a provisional suspension by the NADA in 2017 after for testing positive for a prohibited substance in an out-of-competition test conducted during a national camp but was later let off with a warning after he was able to prove that his dope violation was not intentional.
♕At that time, Paul was playing for an I-League club DSK Shivajians although he had played in the ISL the previous year.
