Samples of Indian athletes that tested positive at Delhi lab yield negative results in Rome

What’s the story?

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has pointed out disparities in the results of the samples of four Indian athletes that were examined at New Delhi’s National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL).

In case you did not know

WADA had collected 38 samples from the NDTL to assess them, whilst also inspecting the Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry procedure (a technique to analyze the samples), out of which four samples gave varying results.

Heart of the matter

The NDTL, after testing the samples of the four Indian athletes, had concluded that the results tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, following which those athletes were handed provisional suspensions. However, when the same samples were re-tested at a WADA-accredited lab in Rome, the results proved to be negative.

Indian officials were notified by WADA about the discrepancy on Monday after which NADA was told to temporarily suspend the penalty imposed on the athletes.

A source said:

“WADA will now check if the results of the Rome lab are correct or the NDTL. That process to reconfirm the facts will take a few more days.”

What’s next?

If found guilty, the six-month suspension on NTDL for not complying with WADA’s requirements is likely to extend further. However, the chances of the ban on NADA affecting the testing of Tokyo Olympics-bound Indian athletes are very slim.