Sunita Rani (Hindi: सुनीता रानी; born 4 December 1979) is an Indian athlete from Punjab who won a gold medal in the 1,500 m race and a bronze in the 5,000 m during the 2002 Asian Games.
Rani hails from Sunam, Punjab and is best known for her performance at the 2002 Asian Games, where she won a gold medal in the 1,500 m race and a bronze in the 5,000 m.[2] Rani was hit with controversy about her performance at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, after she tested positive for nandrolone, a banned substance that aids recovery, strength, and endurance.
The Indian Olympic Association fought to prove that the doping tests had major procedural irregularities and that the results were not valid.
She had also cleared the dope test in Delhi, on the eve of the Indian team's departure to Busan.
On 3 January 2003, the International Association of Athletics Federations officially cleared Rani of doping charges and reinstated her medals.