Sports and Performance Enhancing Drugs (Doping)

[Mugundan]

India could lose a medal from the Asian Games as a boxer is charged with "whereabouts" (anti-doping rules) violations as per this report in The Tribune:
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/sport ... ota-555562

[Kumar]

We have a 7 medal buffer to keep our count at or above 100.. So hopefully less than 7 vegetarians are sloppy.

[Mugundan]

Intervention by Kerala High Court helps M. R. Poovamma return early to competition from doping suspension:
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/athletic ... 493725.ece

[prasen9]

If Poovamma did not participate in anything since Feb'21 and/or forfeited everything from then, then even allowing for the three months delay before the case was upgraded, she should be eligible from Jun'23. She has served two years. If she had participated since Feb'21 and kept the money/awards etc. after that, then of course, that logic does not work. It seems like the court did the right thing. NADA, etc. is sloppy and useless as usual it seems. These things need to be taken care of carefully if we really want any professionalism here.

[Mugundan]

Poovamma participated on:
2021: Feeb 25, March 3,, 15, 16; June 21, 28;
2022: March 13, 23, April 3
2023: July 28-29 (Sri Lanka NC, Diyagama, on a specific clearance from NADA. Later it was explained it was a mistake and her suspension would run up to June 2024)
Normally, where there is no provisional suspension or voluntary suspension (as in this case), a panel orders suspension from the date of the decision. It has powers to adjust the start date according to certain circumstances including delays "not attributable to the athlete". In this case there were plenty of delays caused by the athlete. But the panel, following the HC order, preferred to observe that she deserved some concesion. It stated that it was bound to interpret the rules the way the HC did.
Same with disqualification of all results from sample collection date. The panel has the discretion depending on the circumstances. "Unless fairness requires otherwise" is the crucial part of the rule.
NADA made the mistake of not finding out from the appeal panel what the commencement date was. It has no role to play in either determining the quantum of punishment or the start date and the disqualification of results. It made a second mistake in informing the federation that she was eligible to compete in July 2023 while she was not. It has the duty to bring forward an adverse report before the panel and implement the decisions of the panel with no authority to modify such decisions.
The NADA anti-doping rules are based on the WADC (Code). There can be no concessions as far as including the mandatory provisions of the Code is concerned.

[prasen9]

I do not know what the legal version should be but I would want all results from Feb'21 and 2022 cancelled and all prize money obtained forfeited. Those results are all dope tainted.

[Mugundan]

As per the order of the Appeal panel so far, all her results from sample collection date are annulled. Since her suspension, as per the revised order, ran from Feb 2021 to Feb 2023, all the results during that period are disqualified.

[prasen9]

Excellent! Hope they recovered the prize money.

[jayakris]

[The below post in the athletics thread started a long doping-related discussion there, and all the posts are now moved to this thread... Mod, Jay]

Several young athletes have performed incredibly (by Indian standards) at the just-concluded Junior Nationals at Coimbatore. Either they are awesome talent, or they are showing the results of better coaching or better facilities or the good old spinach! Kuldeep Kumar has stretched his PB by 37cm in reaching the new National record in U-20 pole vault (5.17m). Earlier Dev Meena rose this season to 5.16m for the previous record, improving by an unbelievable 56cm this season! Are these improvements possible even with spinach?
In women's 100m, Bhawna of Haryana (from where else!) clocked 11.55s to better Dutee Chand's national U-20 record of 11.63s. It turned out Bhawna's previous best was 12.09s (there apparently was also an effort of 11.56s in the state junior championships last month, but we will have to ignore it for the time being at least since there is no confirmation). Relatively unknown girl, a huge jump from 12.09 to 11.55 (or 11.56s), will this kind of improvement be sustained? Past shows it won't be, especially if the athlete is from Haryana.

Ouch!

[Saffron Lenin]

Neeraj Chopra is also from Haryana!!!

[Mugundan]

Neeraj Chopra is also from Haryana!!!

How true!
My statement did not mean to say all those who show abnormal improvement are from Haryana! Or all Haryana athletes are dopers.
They are also there from UP, Punjab, TN, Maharashtra, Kerala, Bengal, MP, Karnataka, Andhra, North-Eastern states etc.
When one looks at woman sprinters (including 400m) from Haryana one finds that many of them who showed abnormal improvement had either failed tests or failed to maintain that level of improvement in later years. In my calculations, Bhawna should figure in this group. She might prove me wrong and become the first Indian woman to clock sub-11 and even win an Olympic medal!

[Saffron Lenin]

@Mugundan!!! I don't want to point it out but your hate/ bias against Haryana athletes is coming out again and again!!!
You cant say since "X" athlete is performing extra-ordinarily so he/she must be suspected for Doping!!! By your logic, Neeraj Chopra should be accused or at least suspected as what he has achieved is extra-ordinary ( FIRST GOLD in TRACK & FIELD IN INDIA'S HISTORY)

[prasen9]

Where is his hate/bias against Haryana? You cannot make up something and say that he can't say that. That is called a strawman. He never said that. Doping suspicions arise not when someone does something great or extraordinary. They arise when someone is at a certain level and suddenly jumps up to another level and then is not consistent at that level. Did Neeraj Chopra have such extraordinary jumps from him prior levels and then inconsistency at that level? Then, yes, we should scrutinize him for doping. As we should everyone.

Here is an article that shows Neeraj's progression over the years. It does not have suspicious jumps. Whether he dopes or not, I do not know. I have nothing to be greatly suspicious about him. That is all. Several of the others - plenty.

[SaniaFan]

From 70m in 2014 to 80m in 2015 was a big jump. But I don't think there is any reason to suspect him. There are breakout periods for athletes. I think there should be innocent until proven guilty policy.

[prasen9]

Big jumps and then inconsistency. Neeraj has been reasonably consistent.