Three months after Sports Ministry recommended mandatory dope tests at state level, NADA does a U-turn

Three months after the Sports Ministry and Athletics Federation of India (AFI) unanimously recommended a compulsory dope test at the state athletics meeting, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) was conspicuous by its absence on the opening day of the Delhi State Open Athletics Championships.

The three-day meet is being held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium warm-up track. The NADA office is also within the JNS complex.

“NADA officials should have come to collect urine or blood samples of the competitors,” Adille Sumariwalla, president of AFI, told Sportskeeda over the phone from Mumbai. “More testing at the grassroots is the only way to check the menace of doping.”

In a meeting with the Sports Ministry held in August to discuss the Annual Calendar of Training and Competition (ACTC), it was decided that dope tests will be carried out during all state meets.

“State meets will be conducted as per the calendar submitted by the state units. States who will not cooperate in this regard, the state results will not be validated by the AFI.”

Despite lack of dope tests, Delhi State Open Athletics Championships continue in full swing

On the opening day of the Delhi State Open Athletics Championships, several young athletes posted excellent times in the heats, particularly in the under-16 girls 100m. One of the athletes posted a time of 12.53 seconds to top the qualification.

“Hope the athletes are able to sustain their performance during next month’s junior national competition in Assam,” observed one of the athletics coaches present during the 100m heats at the venue.

Later in the evening session, the top two athletes dipped below the two-minute mark in the 800m final of the U-16 boys’ group.

Based on the current performance of the competitors during the three-day meet, Delhi State Athletics squad will be selected for next month’s junior athletics championships to be held in Guwahati.

Over 1500 athletes are competing in three-day championships that concludes October 27. Hopefully, the menace of doping will not afflict this meet, despite the lack of dope tests.