WADA identifies 12 positive tests of Indians, 97 cases of domicile rule violations
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has found “clear evidence” that India’s National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) is not properly administering the whereabouts rule of athletes. The WADA investigation identified 12 positive tests and 97 breaches of the location rule involving 70 players. WADA’s independent Intelligence and Investigation Department published a report on Tuesday on allegations that NADA’s testing standards were not in line with the WADA Code and international standards of testing and investigation. WADA’s report said, “WADA’s Intelligence and Investigations Division’s long-running investigation, known as ‘Operation Carousel’, began in 2018. There is evidence that NADA did not conduct adequate testing of some of the players included in its Registered Testing Pool (RTP) while also failing to properly monitor the whereabouts of the players.”
According to the report, “The investigation monitored select sports and sportspersons within India, resulting in 12 positive tests (adverse analytical results) and 97 whereabouts violations involving 70 sportspersons in collaboration with NADA.” Wada said there was clear evidence that NADA was short of resources. “Since 2016, WADA has been working closely with NADA to improve its anti-doping program,” said Gunter Younger, WADA’s Director of Intelligence and Investigations. Various corrective steps were provided during this period to address non-conformities with the World Anti-Doping Code and international standards. The Intelligence and Investigation Department launched ‘Operation Carousel’ which revealed clear evidence that NADA’s lack of resources meant it was not testing at an adequate level and that it had information on the whereabouts of players included in the registered testing pool There were no means of satisfactory monitoring and management of
The report, however, states that since the launch of ‘Operation Carousel’, NADA has been trying to take corrective measures and strengthen its resources. According to the report, “‘Operation Carousel’ began openly engaging with NADA in late 2022 after which NADA brought in additional resources, both human and financial, and strengthened its testing program by improving internal processes.” “As a result, both blood sample collection and out-of-competition testing (urine and blood) have increased,” it said. In addition, NADA has doubled its sample collection staff, including doping control officers, and has made significant improvements to manage the residency rule. Was also suspended for six months.
‘Operation Carousel’ had hit out at NADA in 2017 as well on the issue of manpower when it pointed out in its audit report about the ‘acute shortage of manpower’ in the national anti-doping body. ‘Operation Carousel’ states, “In 2017, alarmed by the pace of progress in India, WADA audited NADA’s anti-doping program… In addition to finding a ‘crippling staff shortage’ at NADA, the audit revealed several Deficiencies were also identified and consequently a Corrective Action Report (CAR) was issued by WADA.” WADA again issued a CAR to NADA in 2020 and this time also identified several deficiencies in the related areas of testing. An ‘Operation Carousel’ team also visited India in October 2022 and after talking to its key officials, including the Director General of NADA, found that monitoring of rules related to players’ stay was inadequate, adequate testing was also not being done And also NADA did not have effective intelligence or investigative capability. ‘Operation Carousel’ last year also found that India was not testing all 131 elite players included in its reserve testing pool, a matter of concern for WADA.
