NEW DELHI: The disciplinary panel of the National Anti-Doping Agency dwelt extensively on the technicalities of dope violation on Monday even as lawyers of the athletes who tested positive for banned stimulant methylhexaneamine (MHA) claimed they could take part in the Commonwealth Games in the absence of a provisional suspension.
The athletes were upbeat at the end of the day's proceedings but the federations were not amused, with the Wrestling Federation of India outrightly refusing any change in the squad while the Swimming Federation of India contended that 'it was a complicated task'.
The three-member panel debated on basic issues surrounding MHA with two of them concurring that the tests conducted by NADA during the CWG selection trials were indeed in-competition tests, NADA director general Rahul Bhatnagar said.
Former national badminton champion Dinesh Khanna and doctor NK Khadiya said that "the sample collection process which takes place 12 hours before a competition in which the athlete is scheduled to participate through the end of such competition is 'in competition' testing. We can't agree with the argument that 'competition' only means the final race, match, game or singular athletic event."
With MHA being banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in competition - its abuse being considered as a violation only when the samples are collected during a tournament - both Khanna and Khadiya argued against the lawyers' contention that trials do not constitute in competition. Had the lawyers won the day, the four wrestlers who were originally in the CWG squad, would have been exonerated.
The majority view of the panel prevailed even as its chairman, retired additional district judge Dinesh Dayal, held that the tests were not in-competition as they were not held during specific event.
Meanwhile, the athletes' lawyers maintained that the seven dope tainted athletes who were part of the CWG squads - Rajiv Tomar, Mausam Khatri, Sumit, Gursharanpreet Kaur (wrestling), Richa Mishra and Jyotsna Pansare (swimming) and Saurabh Vij (athletics), were eligible to take part in the Games if their federations took them back.
The decision met with mixed response from the federations. Wrestling Federation of India president GS Mander said the four wrestlers would be not be included in the team as the WFI had already announced replacements immediately after the dope results came out early this month. "It is not legally and practically possible. If we include them now, it would be unfair to those wrestlers who were picked in their place," he said.
A visibly upset Tomar said he would meet the federation officials on Tuesday and is still hopeful of taking part in the Commonwealth Games. Meanwhile, Swimming Federation of India said it will call a meeting of its selection committee in the next two days to decide on whether Richa and Jyotsna should be taken back.
However, SFI secretary Virendra Nanavati said it was a 'complicated job'. "It is going to be difficult as we have already named the replacements," Nanavati said.
THE TAINTED 12
Sportspersons in the CWG squads:
Wrestling: Rajiv Tomar, Sumit, Mausam Khatri, Gursharanpreet Kaur.
Athletics: Saurabh Vij.
Swimming: Richa Mishra, Jyotsna Pansare.
The others who tested positive but were not part of the Games contingent were Rahul Mann and Joginder Singh (wrestling), Akash Antil (athletics), Amar Muralidharan (swimming) and Sanamacha Chanu (weightlifting).
TOI
The athletes were upbeat at the end of the day's proceedings but the federations were not amused, with the Wrestling Federation of India outrightly refusing any change in the squad while the Swimming Federation of India contended that 'it was a complicated task'.
The three-member panel debated on basic issues surrounding MHA with two of them concurring that the tests conducted by NADA during the CWG selection trials were indeed in-competition tests, NADA director general Rahul Bhatnagar said.
Former national badminton champion Dinesh Khanna and doctor NK Khadiya said that "the sample collection process which takes place 12 hours before a competition in which the athlete is scheduled to participate through the end of such competition is 'in competition' testing. We can't agree with the argument that 'competition' only means the final race, match, game or singular athletic event."
With MHA being banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in competition - its abuse being considered as a violation only when the samples are collected during a tournament - both Khanna and Khadiya argued against the lawyers' contention that trials do not constitute in competition. Had the lawyers won the day, the four wrestlers who were originally in the CWG squad, would have been exonerated.
The majority view of the panel prevailed even as its chairman, retired additional district judge Dinesh Dayal, held that the tests were not in-competition as they were not held during specific event.
Meanwhile, the athletes' lawyers maintained that the seven dope tainted athletes who were part of the CWG squads - Rajiv Tomar, Mausam Khatri, Sumit, Gursharanpreet Kaur (wrestling), Richa Mishra and Jyotsna Pansare (swimming) and Saurabh Vij (athletics), were eligible to take part in the Games if their federations took them back.
The decision met with mixed response from the federations. Wrestling Federation of India president GS Mander said the four wrestlers would be not be included in the team as the WFI had already announced replacements immediately after the dope results came out early this month. "It is not legally and practically possible. If we include them now, it would be unfair to those wrestlers who were picked in their place," he said.
A visibly upset Tomar said he would meet the federation officials on Tuesday and is still hopeful of taking part in the Commonwealth Games. Meanwhile, Swimming Federation of India said it will call a meeting of its selection committee in the next two days to decide on whether Richa and Jyotsna should be taken back.
However, SFI secretary Virendra Nanavati said it was a 'complicated job'. "It is going to be difficult as we have already named the replacements," Nanavati said.
THE TAINTED 12
Sportspersons in the CWG squads:
Wrestling: Rajiv Tomar, Sumit, Mausam Khatri, Gursharanpreet Kaur.
Athletics: Saurabh Vij.
Swimming: Richa Mishra, Jyotsna Pansare.
The others who tested positive but were not part of the Games contingent were Rahul Mann and Joginder Singh (wrestling), Akash Antil (athletics), Amar Muralidharan (swimming) and Sanamacha Chanu (weightlifting).
TOI
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