Positive dope tests of as many as 22 young rowers has come as a shock to the entire sporting community in India. The 16-18 year olds were part of the team that won two silver medals in the Asian Junior Rowing Championships held in Pattaya, Thailand, from December 16 to 22,2019.
The campers, who all tested positive for the same substance probenecid, were together at Hyderabad with their coaches when their samples were collected by the National Anti-Doping Agency as part of its out-of-competition testing programme.
Results of the urine samples were sent to the accredited laboratory in Doha, Qatar, since the National Dope Testing Laboratory in under suspension since August 2019 by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The Adverse Analytical Finding notice of charge has been served to the rowers, all of whom are still minors.
Probenecid is listed as a masking agent and figures in WADA's catalogue of specified substance category as a prohibited performance-enhancing drug. It's usually taken intravenously and is supposed to help users suddenly reduce weight.
More than the use of a banned substance by a team of junior international medal-winners, the positive test points at a malaise that affects Indian sports right across the spectrum. Intravenous administration at such a large scale would have been impossible to hide, even if done under strict medial supervision. Gone are the days of the Iron Curtain when institutional doping had been the norm rather than the exception.
So fingers naturally point to the food supplements given to the campers by Sports Authority of India, again on the recommendation of the coaches. As per procedure, each supplement must be approved by the medical team at the training centre before being given to athletes to prevent just this kind of an accident. No longer can herbal supplements and across-the-counter medication be freely used by sports-persons.
Even as the blame game between SAI and Rowing Federation of India has started, perhaps the opportunity can be leveraged to work out modalities that do not put the campers at any risk. Remember its elite athletes whose future could be at stake!
Hap-hazard management on part of SAI and lackadaisical attitude of national sports federations will hardly help. NADA, which organises extensive information sessions on banned substances, has clearly stated that RFI never approached it for one. What is most intriguing is that RFI has tried to shift the blame back on SAI saying most of the campers came from the Khelo India initiative of the ministry of youth affairs and sports. RFI, however, cannot shift responsibility of national campers on anyone else.
Rather than mud-slinging, it will be immensely beneficial for Indian sports if parties concerned can put their heads together and chalk out a road-map for the future! Ball is squarely in SAI's court since it runs the Khelo India programme for young athletes and also provides the infrastructure and support for training to international sports persons.
Time for NSFs, MYAS and SAI to come down hard on the dope menace!
The campers, who all tested positive for the same substance probenecid, were together at Hyderabad with their coaches when their samples were collected by the National Anti-Doping Agency as part of its out-of-competition testing programme.
Results of the urine samples were sent to the accredited laboratory in Doha, Qatar, since the National Dope Testing Laboratory in under suspension since August 2019 by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The Adverse Analytical Finding notice of charge has been served to the rowers, all of whom are still minors.
Probenecid is listed as a masking agent and figures in WADA's catalogue of specified substance category as a prohibited performance-enhancing drug. It's usually taken intravenously and is supposed to help users suddenly reduce weight.
More than the use of a banned substance by a team of junior international medal-winners, the positive test points at a malaise that affects Indian sports right across the spectrum. Intravenous administration at such a large scale would have been impossible to hide, even if done under strict medial supervision. Gone are the days of the Iron Curtain when institutional doping had been the norm rather than the exception.
So fingers naturally point to the food supplements given to the campers by Sports Authority of India, again on the recommendation of the coaches. As per procedure, each supplement must be approved by the medical team at the training centre before being given to athletes to prevent just this kind of an accident. No longer can herbal supplements and across-the-counter medication be freely used by sports-persons.
Even as the blame game between SAI and Rowing Federation of India has started, perhaps the opportunity can be leveraged to work out modalities that do not put the campers at any risk. Remember its elite athletes whose future could be at stake!
Hap-hazard management on part of SAI and lackadaisical attitude of national sports federations will hardly help. NADA, which organises extensive information sessions on banned substances, has clearly stated that RFI never approached it for one. What is most intriguing is that RFI has tried to shift the blame back on SAI saying most of the campers came from the Khelo India initiative of the ministry of youth affairs and sports. RFI, however, cannot shift responsibility of national campers on anyone else.
Rather than mud-slinging, it will be immensely beneficial for Indian sports if parties concerned can put their heads together and chalk out a road-map for the future! Ball is squarely in SAI's court since it runs the Khelo India programme for young athletes and also provides the infrastructure and support for training to international sports persons.
Time for NSFs, MYAS and SAI to come down hard on the dope menace!
No comments:
Post a Comment