NADA to collect samples of 30 athletes to ensure dope-free Asian Games 

The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) is set to collect around 30 samples of athletes during the ongoing two-day Indian Grand Prix track and field, which will conclude on Monday, September 11.

The NADA wants to ensure that no athlete, who will be taking part in the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, is under the influence of any doping substance. NADA have sent two doping control officers (DCOs) from Delhi for the IGP V, which started on Sunday, September 10.

If reports are to be believed, the officials of the NADA in Delhi gave the instructions of collecting the samples of 30 athletes.

“Some samples will be from those among top-three finishers, some will be random samples. Moreover, some specific names of athletes have been given (by NADA in Delhi) to the DCOs to take samples from them," a source privy to the developments was quoted as saying to PTI on condition of anonymity.

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Hima Das, others face the heat from NADA

Earlier in September, NADA suspended Hima Das provisionally after the star sprinter failed to give details of three whereabouts in the last 12 months.

“Yes, she has committed three whereabout failures in one year period and so she has been provisionally suspended by the NADA,” an official from the Indian team mentioned.

Back in July, Anjali Devi, the National Inter-State Championships women’s 400m champion, Kirpal Singh, the gold medallist of the Federation Cup in 2022, shot putter Karanveer Singh, who won the silver medal in the National Inter-State competition, tested positive for banned substances.

The Indian athletes are scheduled to leave for the Asian Games on September 25 and 26. Going by sources, the participants can only enter the Asian Games village three days before the start of the event.

Recently, the Indian contingent performed brilliantly in the World Championships. Some of the officials said that India can return with around 25 medals from Hangzhou.