Sports and Performance Enhancing Drugs (Doping)

[Mugundan]

'B' sample testing is only a legal formality.
Indian media often makes out as though it holds the key to the future of the athlete. It is very rare that a 'B' sample will test negative. Lack of time to test the 'B' sample will not be the factor here, but the chances of any of them walking free from the procedures. Even for a minor offence there would be a few months suspension.
In the meantime, more "positive" results are expected in a week or so, mainly in athletics.

[Mugundan]

A batch of 65 under provisional suspension including some of those mentioned earlier. This is a record batch it looks
https://sportstar-thehindu-com.cdn.ampp ... 080544.ece

[Mugundan]

WADA finds NADA testing, whereabouts implementation etc inadequate:
https://indianexpress.com/article/sport ... s-8847154/

[Mugundan]

One more judoka falls into the dope net
https://www.sportskeeda.com/judo/news-p ... ames-squad

[Mugundan]

14-year-old fails dope test, likely to be out of Asian Games team
Wushu player tests positive, will have to miss Asian Games
https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/ ... 01645.html

[prasen9]

Racewalker Bhawna Jat was suspended for a whereabouts failure. Is NADA taking whereabouts filing a bit more seriously now after the WADA report? She was pulled from the World Championship team and is unlikely for the Asian Games too.

Dutee Chand, on the other hand, has started the usual noise about appealing to whoever, which is unlikely to turn into anything, imho. Article

[Mugundan]

Racewalker Bhawna Jat was suspended for a whereabouts failure. Is NADA taking whereabouts filing a bit more seriously now after the WADA report? She was pulled from the World Championship team and is unlikely for the Asian Games too.

Dutee Chand, on the other hand, has started the usual noise about appealing to whoever, which is unlikely to turn into anything, imho. Article

It is true that the "whereabouts" policy is being strictly followed after the WADA report. She said that she had to be in Kyrgyzstan for a camp when the failure occurred and she had written to NADA to inform that her mobile had developed some trouble early on and was lost later leading to a situation where she could not get the OTP to file through ADMAS. The panel noted that she did not try to inform NADA about the shift to Kyrgyzstan early enough, that she had an alternative number which was registered with ADAMS. The panel refused to stay the provisional suspension slapped on her and that led to her missing the WC which she was keen to compete. The regular hearing of her case before a panel will come up in due course.

[prasen9]

Hima Das provisionally suspended for three whereabouts violations in a year. NADA is showing some enforcement at least now: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/athletics/hima-das-provisionally-suspended-by-nada/articleshow/103415276.cms?from=mdr. She is "injured" and not in the team. I always had some doubts but all these dubious acts and injuries, etc. seem to confirm that at least something has been going on.

[Kumar]

14-year-old fails dope test, likely to be out of Asian Games team
Wushu player tests positive, will have to miss Asian Games
https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/ ... 01645.html

I missed this news. Which would be worser? That the girl was taking supplements without knowing what she was taking following her coach orders or it all happened with full understanding of the family. The former does not bode well for the programme and latter shows serious levels of desperation.

Just like they have warnings about tobaco ads, there should be a trailer before every sports meet that talks about dangers of doping and how each athlete is responsible for what goes in to their body. Inspite of the fact , that her name is not provided I am worried that it will be known eventually and this girl will be subject to tremendous scrutiny at her school.

[srini]

Fully agree with Kumar. People generally assume athletes are fully aware of what they are doing to their body when they dope. But i think it may not be the case. Coaches trivialize the doping to their young impressionable wards as if it happens everywhere and that they just need to be ahead of the doping hide-and-seek game. These athletes and their parents fall into the trap of reaping short term benefits and ignore the long term health hazards. Even the athletes in developed nations who are probably better equipped to be well informed are not an exception to this menace. From the information available, Testicular cancer is supposed to be a rare cancer. I have never heard about any one in my circles ever being affected, including the time when i was in US. So irrespective of race being Caucasian or sub continent genes, it still is a rare cancer i believe. But in spite of that Lance Dopey Armstrong (middle name added as pun) got that cancer. Hard to believe it was co incidence. Summary is more trailers as Kumar mentioned or even documentaries in most grisly and graphic details of health hazards at every sports meet from a junior level may serve some purpose.

[Atithee]

Wow, what naïveté! My god, I didn’t know young minds need grisly documentaries to understand the risks. Jeez.

[Kumar]

Wow, what naïveté! My god, I didn’t know young minds need grisly documentaries to understand the risks. Jeez.

I don't think athletes that young are really aware that they are individually responsible for what they consume. If my coach gave me a drink at 14, I am 100% sure i would have drank it without asking any questions. Lot of coaches are draconian figures, who literally live by "My way or highway". I am not saying that is what happened here. Some parents may be willing to take the risk, but I would like to believe that a 14 year old would not do this voluntarily.

I agree that grisly docu may not do the drink for a person determined to dope, but a warning that they are responsible for everything they consume is very critical especially for young athletes and their families.

[srini]

Any harm seen? if at all young kids will be out of harm's way! how can that be a problem? Like i said developed nations may have the resources to inform junior athletes about everything they need to know. In developing countries many of these athletes come from rural background and hardly exposed to such info and they can get carried away by coaches and at the prospect of government jobs. I feel nothing wrong in educating them at every opportunity and at tender age. Sports meets like Khelo India give a window to educate en masse incurring less cost for government

[Atithee]

It’s not that they don’t need to be shown documentaries or educated in many ways. By all means, do that. It’s just the naivety in assuming that they are so innocent. Ten year olds are watching porn on their mobiles daily. You think they don’t know what they are asked to consume is dangerous? Come on. It ALWAYS comes down to risk/reward and rewards wins every time. But let’s not pretend that the sweet little rural kids are holier than thou. No siree Bob! They already know and can teach you and I about everything under the sky. The Jio revolution has made information a commodity. These kids could sometimes do better by just watching YouTube videos than training under charlatans, who are usually washed up wannabes at these age level.

[Atithee]

I agree that grisly docu may not do the drink for a person determined to dope, but a warning that they are responsible for everything they consume is very critical especially for young athletes and their families.

Who did you think they hold responsible, Kumar? The coaches? Really?