The National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) has joined forces with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), a subsidiary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with an aim to control the increasing number of dope cases in sports. The NADA-CDSCO combined team will be tasked to zero down the source of the drug that is illegally sneaked into the country and is used by athletes to enhance their performance.
The move was triggered after pugilist Neeraj Phogat, a Tokyo Olympic hopeful was suspended after an illegal drug, Ligandrol was found in her sample. Neeraj was the fifth athlete from India to have flunked a dope test this year. Experts claim that the drug found in Neeraj’s sample is available in India only through the black market.
Talking about the NADA-CDSCO collaboration, NADA Director General Navin Agarwal said “There have been instances where prohibited drugs are coming clandestinely into the market. There are some drugs, available only on prescription, which lands in the hands of the athletes. But what is of a bigger concern is the drugs that are prohibited also from import also finding a way into the country and used by athletes. We have to track the source to find a solution.” NADA director also met Joint Drugs Controller K Bangarurajan to discuss on the issue.
NADA had earlier also drafted a legislation to make doping a criminal offense. The draft says that any attempt to supply banned drugs to an athlete or having links to organized crime syndicate will attract a jail term of up to four years or a fine of Rs 10 lakh. However, to NADA’s dismay, the draft has been forgotten and is still pending with the sports ministry.
As the legislation is still pending with the ministry, CDSCO will have the power to interrogate the athletes who have flunked the dope test and track the source of illegal drugs. They will have the authority to ask the athletes who sold them the drugs or how did they come into possession of such banned substances.
