The drug-testing rules of WADA is slowly turning into a threat for Indian sports and sports persons.
The sports ministry has directed the NADA to enforce the WADA Code in all its “fairness and entirety” on the BCCI. They conduct dope testing of cricketers during domestic and international matches being played in India.
If it continues then, NADA would lose its affiliation to the international body. And thus, right after it, the sports ministry has given NADA the full authority to conduct the tests. Collect in-competition samples of the players.
The ministry has given NADA the “full authority and powers” to send its ‘dope control officers’ to the BCCI recognised tournaments and matches. They collect in-competition blood and urine samples of the cricketers.
The TOI had exclusively reported on October 28, 2017 that WADA has asked ICC to direct BCCI to allow dope testing of Indian cricketers by NADA. WADA had also written to India’s sports ministry asking it to ensure that BCCI is WADA-compliant. WADA had threatened to cancel NADA’s accreditation if this was not ensured.
“I have instructed NADA’s director general (Navin Agarwal) to send his DCOs to cricket tournaments in India to collect the samples of cricketers. If the BCCI resists or creates any hurdle in NADA’s functioning. We won’t hesitate from taking further action against the cricket board,” secretary sports Rahul Bhatnagar told TOI on Saturday.
“NADA’s anti-doping rules, which were approved by the cabinet. Give it full jurisdiction and authority to implement the anti-doping measures with respect to all sports in India, including cricket.” Injeti Srinivas—Director General of Sports Authority of India. They wrote in a letter to Committee of Administrators’ (CoA) chairman Vinod Rai and CEO Rahul Johri.
“Therefore, kindly intervene and facilitate Nada to implement the anti-doping programme with respect to cricket in India with full cooperation of the BCCI. In the absence of this, Nada may run the risk of becoming non-compliant with the Wada Code. With your support, we can rectify the present situation arising out of BCCI’s non-cooperation and help Nada become fully compliant of the Wada Code,” he added.