Athletics coach and Dronacharya awardee Ramesh Nagapuri has got a reprieve from the National Anti-Doping Agency’s appeals panel as it has revoked his provisional suspension.
The Anti-Doping Appeals Panel (ADAP) in its March 20 order has revoked his suspension that was imposed on him by the NADA on March 17, 2023. Ramesh was in the dock after the doping control officer (DCO) wrote in his report that the coach prevented an athlete from signing the notification form and then asked the same athlete to leave the GMC Balayogi Stadium in December 2024 which helped him to evade the doping test. He further failed to provide the contact details which demonstrated “a malicious intent and preventing the collection of the necessary samples”.
He was subsequently issued with a notification on March 17, 2024, for complicity, aiding, abetting, conspiring, covering up and attempted complicity involving an anti-doping rule violation. He then filed an appeal against the suspension.
The ADDP rejected his request to lift the suspension in August. However, the ADDP has revoked his suspension, albeit with a 2-1 vote in his favour. Chairman of the panel Geetanjali Sharma and former India women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal found merit in Ramesh’s appeal, while Dr Rana Chengappa sided with the NADA officials and said that the coach interfered with the process and hence should not get any relief.
“…Since, the matter is pending for the final adjudication from the Ld. Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) without commenting on the merits of the case and only based on the initial submissions place by both the parties till date, the provisional suspension imposed upon the appellant by the National Anti-Doping Agency is revoked till the final disposal of the case by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel,” the order, dated March 20, 2026, stated.
Ramesh’s lawyer Parth Goswami said the decision vindicates their stand that the coach was not responsible for the doping evasion in this case.
“We have consistently maintained that Ramesh Nagapuri has absolutely no role whatsoever in the present matter. The allegations levelled against him are entirely unfounded,” Goswami told The Tribune on Friday.
“It is an admitted position that the two athletes in question independently evaded dope testing. Evasion, in itself, constitutes a serious anti-doping rule violation, attracting a potential four-year period of ineligibility. It is wholly illogical and incomprehensible to suggest that a coach would advise or encourage athletes to evade testing, particularly when the athletes were duly notified by the NADA officials,” he added.
