The Indian Sports might be in for a major crisis following the continuous refusal of the Indian cricketers to submit themselves to the drug testing regime that is being followed by athletes from all over the world.
The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) had instructed the International Cricket Council (ICC) to direct the BCCI to allow the drug testing regime for their cricketers. WADA has warned the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) has warned that if the Indian cricketers still continue to refuse it might lose its accreditation with WADA.
It might be a potential threat to the whole Indian Sports circuit which was conveyed to Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore via a letter. If NADA does loses it’s accreditation with WADA then it might have a negative impact and might affect the Indian Sport’s fight against doping. This would eventually mean that the Indian sports circuit will be left no WADA accredited agencies to test their athletes.
In the letter written by the director of WADA, Olivier Nigri he said:
“In addressing the anti-doping issue with BCCI and ensuring NADA can implement the anti-doping programme in cricket with full cooperation of BCCI. Without this cooperation, India’s NADA may risk its compliance with the WADA Code as its testing programme will not be fully effective.”
“We are following up with the ICC for assistance in addressing this issue. It’s our understanding that NADA’s anti-doping rules give it full jurisdiction and authority over all sports in India,” Niggli further added. The WADA code is the core document that abides the anti-doping policies and all the rules and regulations within all organisations of sports in the country. It was first adopted in 2003, came in to play in 2004 and was amended on 1st January 2009.
As per reports India’s Sports Minister took swift steps following Niggli’s letter and directed former sports secretary Injeti Srinivas who was at power before getting transferred to Corporate Affairs Ministry to take up the matter seriously with the officials of BCCI.
“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,” Srinivas wrote to Committee of Administrators’ (CoA) chairman Vinod Rai and BCCI CEO Rahul Johri earlier this month. “Therefore, kindly intervene and facilitate NADA to implement the anti-doping programme with respect to cricket in India with the 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 (Rai’s) support, we can rectify the present situation arising out of BCCI’s non-cooperation and help NADA become fully compliant of the WADA Code,” Srinivas wrote.
DG of Nada, when contacted, said, “Wada is very serious about dope testing in Indian cricket this time around. That’s why they have taken up the matter with the ministry, which, in turn, has written to Mr Rai.”
