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India’s improved WADA rank has a catch - fewer dope tests by NADA
India ‘slip’ to sixth from third in report published for 2016 but that could be because of fewer dope tests conducted by NADA
In what could lead to stake holders, especially the sports ministry, heaving a sigh of relief, India has recorded fewer number of Anti Doping Rules Violations (ADRV) for 2016. According to World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) report published on Thursday, India, with 69 ADRV cases, is tied at sixth with Russia.
This is a significant improvement from the period between 2013 and 2015 when India was ranked third in the WADA list of dope cheats. However, the improvement in 2016 could be misleading as the total tests conducted were far less than the previous years. From 2013 to 2015, National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) had conducted over 4000 tests. That figure, as per the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) statistics, fell to less than 3000.
At the beginning of 2017, NADA had planned a robust anti doping programme, targeting over 7,000 sportspersons to check the use of banned substances. However, only 2667 were tested, a worrying number for the National Sports Federations (NSFs).
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Of the 69 dope cheats in 2016, track and field athletes again topped the list 21 tested positive, followed by power-lifting (14), a non-Olympics event. Weightlifters, who hit the headlines with their impressive performance in the recently concluded Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, have 14 positive cases.
Kabaddi (9) and wrestling (5) are two other disciplines in the top-five. Some of the big names in athletics who the failed dope test in 2016 were shot-putter Inderjeet Singh, sprinter Dharambir Singh and 400m runner Priyanka Panwar. The trio was dropped from the Rio Olympic Games contingent.
At the global level too, athletics, with 205 ADRVs, top the chart followed by bodybuilding (183), cycling (165), weightlifting (116) and football (79). Italy topped the list with 147, followed by France (86) and USA (76). Australia, recently topping the Commonwealth Games tally with 198 medals, including 80 gold, is fourth with 75.
