It has been reliably learnt that Reetika, who was part of the ongoing national camp at the IG Stadium here, was handed a provisional suspension on Monday after her sample, collected by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) during the selection trials in the national capital, returned positive.
Junior world champion wrestler Reetika Hooda, who represented India at the Paris Olympics, has been provisionally suspended for one year after she tested positive for a banned drug.
Along with Reetika, who won a silver medal at the Asian Championships this year, and gold at the Ulaanbaatar ranking series in May, two other grapplers, including another Asian championship bronze medallist, and from the same academy as hers in Rohtak, have also been suspended after testing positive.
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It has been reliably learnt that Reetika, who was part of the ongoing national camp at the IG Stadium here, was handed a provisional suspension on Monday after her sample, collected by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) during the selection trials in the national capital, returned positive.
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While the substance is yet to be known, the United World Wrestling (UWW) took note of the 22-year-old’s failed dope test and subsequently suspended her until July 7, 2026.
According to Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) sources, she has been asked to leave the national camp following her suspension. She was set to compete at the Ranking Series tournament in Budapest, starting July 17, and later in the World Championships in September.
Reetika, who became the first wrestler from India to book an Olympic quota in the women’s 76 kg category, lost in the quarterfinals in Paris. In October 2023, Reetika became the first Indian to be crowned the Under-23 World Champion.
The news of three grapplers returning positive, comes days after the International Olympic Council (IOC) raised serious concerns over the surge of dope cases in India, during their meeting with a high-powered Indian delegation at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne.
In the recent few years, India has witnessed a significant spike in dope cases. In 2023 alone, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) reported 213 adverse analytical findings (AAFs) in samples tested by India’s National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) — the highest in the world. This follows a similar trend from 2022, where India again led globally with over 100 positive results. To curb the menace, the international body has urged India, hoping to host the 2036 Olympic Games, to implement immediate and robust anti-doping measures to restore credibility to its sporting ecosystem.
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