Women's 1500m national record holder and National Games silver medalist fails dope test

Women's 1500m national record holder and National Games silver medallist K M Deeksha has failed a dope test, news agency PTI reported on Tuesday, quoting sources.The 27-year-old middle-distance runner, who has competed only once this year, is understood to have tested positive for a banned substance. Details about the substance and the circumstances of the test are not yet known."Yes, it's confirmed that she has failed a dope test," a source was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.Deeksha's only competition this year came at the Indian Open Athletics Series 2 in Jaipur on April 5, where she won the 1500m race with a time of 4:25.74. The performance was well outside the Athletics Federation of India's qualifying mark of 4:05.09 for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.She did not participate in the Federation Cup in Ranchi, which was a mandatory event for Commonwealth Games selection unless an athlete received an exemption from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).The AFI later offered eligible athletes another chance to achieve Commonwealth Games qualification standards during the Ludhiana leg of the Indian Athletics Series on June 13. However, only athletes who had competed in the Federation Cup were eligible to have their performances considered for selection.Deeksha is part of the National Anti-Doping Agency's Registered Testing Pool. Her national record in the 1500m stands at 4:04.78, which she set in the United States in May 2024.Meanwhile, India continues to top the Athletics Integrity Unit's list of currently ineligible athletes. At the end of May 2026, India had 154 suspended athletes, up from 148 previously. Kenya was second with 147 suspended athletes, while Russia had 65.India had moved ahead of Kenya in March, when it had 148 suspended athletes compared to Kenya's 146.The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), the independent anti-doping body established by World Athletics, oversees anti-doping matters involving international-level athletes and their support personnel.