Lone runner competes in 100m after anti-doping bust in India

“I was really looking forward to running against the best athletes, but nobody turned up,” Kumar told the Indian Express.

“Everyone was scared of getting tested. As an athlete, I feel very hurt and let down.”

In the junior steeplechase event, a girl continued to run even after crossing the finish line and a doping control officer had to chase her to get her sample.

The under-16 boys hammer throw also had only one participant.

Kumar will be awarded a medal and a certificate even though he ran alone in the final, Mehta said.

“He competed with others in the heats; it’s not his fault that the others did not turn up for the final,” Mehta said.

According to the World Anti-Doping Agency, India ranks second in the number of doping violations behind Russia.

In August, top Indian sprinter Dutee Chand was banned from competition for four years after failing two doping tests, and a 14-year-old swimmer was provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned substance.