Indian sports wrap, February 21: Pune Half Marathon winner Pradhan Kirulakar fails dope test
ATHLETICS
Last year’s Pune Half Marathon race title winner Pradhan Vilas Kirulakar has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after failing a dope test.
Kirulakar, who had won the Pune Marathon in December 2024 with a time of 1 hour 4 minutes and 22 seconds, tested positive for performance-enhancing drug meldonium.
“A notice of allegation has been issued after his dope sample showed the “presence/use of a prohibited substance (Meldonium) (Article 2.1 and Article 2.2),” the AIU said.
The AIU is the independent agency of the World Athletics which manages all aspects of the anti-doping programme for international level athletes.
The use of Meldonium came to light after tennis star Maria Sharapova tested positive for it and got suspended in 2016.
Meldonium is prescribed by physicians to help protect heart tissue by regulating metabolism. It has also been used by neurological clinics to treat patients who have asthenia — an abnormal lack of energy.
Last month, the AIU had announced the provisional suspension of another Indian long distance runner Madhuri Kale for the “presence/use of a prohibited substance Mephentermine.”
– PTI
GOLF
Ahlawat shoots 70 to lie 45th in Kenya
Indian golfer Veer Ahlawat was cruising along when three late bogeys saw him card a one-under 70, leaving him tied for 45th after the opening round of the Magical Kenya Open on the DP World Tour in Nairobi.
The Indian, who is a rookie on the Tour, was cruising at four-under through his first nine holes at the Muthaiga Golf Club, but ran into three bogeys in the last four holes.
India’s other representative in the field, Shubhankar Sharma (71). was Tied 65th.
John Parry and Benjamin Hebert posted rounds of bogey-free eight-under par rounds of 63 to take a share of lead.
Ahlawat had a great first nine, which was the back stretch of the course. He birdied the 10th, 14th and 15th before landing an eagle on the 18th. In between he dropped a shot on the 16th. He was 4-under for the back at 4-under 31.
However, all that good work went in vain as Ahlawat dropped four bogeys including three in last four holes. He also picked a birdie at 7th hole and totalled 1-under 70.
Shubhankar had four birdies against four bogeys.
England’s Parry, who has already won on the 2025 Race to Dubai, set the target early in the day and it was only matched by Hebert, who birdied his final hole to join him on eight under, one clear of South Africa’s Jayden Schaper.
Schaper was also bogey-free in his seven-under 64, with Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen and Korean Wooyoung Cho sharing fourth on six under.
– PTI