Dipa Karmakar ‘can’t wait to get back on the floor’ after doping ban

India’s star gymnast Dipa Karmakar has confirmed that she has been serving a doping suspension for a 21-month period, effective until 10 July, 2023. She had tested positive for higenamine.
Higenamine, a stimulant, is led under Beta-2 Agons, (of the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited l). According to anti-doping literature of the US Anti-Doping Agency, higenamine acts as a general stimulant. It helps the lungs to take in more oxygen and is prohibited in and out of competition.
Reacting to a statement from International Testing Agency (ITA) regarding her ban, Karmakar put out a statement on Twitter saying: “In October 2021, my sample was obtained for out-of-competition testing and sent for assessment. The result was positive for a banned substance which I unknowingly ingested and could not determine the source of. I decided to take a provisional suspension with the hope of a swift resolution with the international federation. I am happy that the matter has been amicably resolved.”

🙏 pic.twitter.com/LolR80zayc
— Dipa Karmakar (@DipaKarmakar) February 4, 2023
Karmakar says she doesn’t know how the banned substance entered her body and it’s something that has caused her immense stress.
“It has been dressful to not know how the substances entered my body, however, more so to be in a position where my ethics have been questioned. Never in my career has the thought of consuming a banned substance crossed my mind. Gymnastics is all I have, and I would never do anything which would bring myself or my country into disrepute,” she said.
Karmakar first came to prominence at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, where her high-scoring Produnova vault earned her a bronze. She subsequently finished 4th at the Rio Olympics, and went on to win a World Cup medal thereafter.

The Tripura gymnast had undergone knee surgery and had been in rehab for the most part since 2018. She has not competed in the intervening period since the stated date of testing as per ITA.
Karmakar also refuted claims that her suspension was for not keeping with the whereabouts clause. “Multiple media reports have speculated that | was under a 2-year suspension for failing to inform WADA of my whereabouts through the Anti-Doping Adminration Management System (ADAMS). However, | would like to clarify that these are false and inaccurate and do not reveal the true facts and nature of the matter,” she said.