As a first step towards meeting the ‘whereabouts’ requirement in the 2015 Code ahead of the Rio Olympics next year, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has named 42 athletes in its Registered Testing Pool (RTP) and aims at including sportspersons from other disciplines in the coming months.
The athletics RTP, which includes 20 women athletes including some 400m runners who had served suspension for doping offences in the past, contains several big names except triple jumper Arpinder Singh and 800m runner Tintu Luka. These two have been placed in the RTP of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
The NADA has intimated the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to alert the athletes concerned so that they can provide their ‘whereabouts’ information sooner than later.
Under the ‘whereabouts’ clause, an athlete named in the RTP has to tell NADA his/her whereabouts on a quarterly basis (as per the International Standard for Testing and Investigations laid out by World Anti-Doping Agency). The athlete must give a 60-minute time slot (between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m.) every day when he/she will be available for testing.
An athlete in the RTP, which may change in future, has to update the whereabouts information as and when necessary so that it remains accurate and complete at all times.
As per the Code, if an athlete is not available at such a location during a 60-minute slot specified for a day in his/her ‘whereabouts’ filing, then it will be considered as a missed test. Any combinations of three missed tests by an athlete within a 12-month period may attract sanction.
Nevertheless, an athlete in the RTP can be tested by appropriate authorities beyond the specified time slot.
According to a NADA official, the athletes mentioned in its RTP are expected to provide their ‘whereabouts’ information within a month’s time. “Soon we will start working on other disciplines and the list should be ready within two months.”
Meanwhile, the NADA has planned to conduct larger number of tests, including blood samples, in the pre-Olympic year.
Registered Testing Pool:Athletics: Men: Krishna Kumar Rane and Jyoti Sankar Debnath (100m), Dharambir Singh (200m), Arokia Rajiv (400m), Sajeesh Joseph (800m), Rahul Kumar Pal (10,000m), Naveen Kumar (3000m steeplechase), Sidhanth Thingalaya (110m hurdles), Rajender Singh Dalvir, Davinder Singh and Vipin Kasana (javelin), Vikas Gowda (discus), Kamalpreet Singh (hammer), Inderjeet Singh and Om Prakash Singh (shot put), Renjith Maheswary (triple jump), Kumaravel Premkumar, M. Vigneshwar and Ankit Sharma (long jump), K.T. Irfan and Gurmeet Singh (20km walk).
Women: Saradha Narayanan, V. Santhini and Asha Roy (100m), M.R. Poovamma, Anilda Thomas, Mandeep Kaur, Priyanka Panwar and Ashwini Akkunji (400m), Sushma Devi (800m), O.P. Jaisha (1500m, 5000m, 10000m), Sudha Singh and Lalita Babar (3000m steeplechase), Annu Rani (javelin), Manju Bala Singh (hammer), Seema Poonia and Krishna Poonia (discus), Mayookha Johny, M.A. Prajusha and Neena Narayanan (long jump/triple jump), Shraddha Ghule (long jump).
