Tribunal to decide fate of dope-tainted Indian athletes, says WADA chief

NEW DELHI - Director General of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) David Howman here on Saturday said that the fast-track tribunal will decide the fate of the 12 dope-tainted Indian athletes.

Howman said that it was also the responsibility of various sports agency within a country to monitor their athletes.

“This is a big country and I think responsibility for the education and information doesn’t just rest with the NADA (National Anti Doping Agency), it rests for those who are running national sports, it rests with those who are training those elite athletes and there are plenty of opportunities for them to get the information that they need and pass it on,” said Howman.

“I don’t want to talk about the 12 cases. I think you mentioned 12 athletes because those excuses that have been made must be made through tribunal. And it’s for the tribunal to determine whether what they are saying is accepted. So, I don’t want to interfere in the way the tribunal works. We need to wait to see whether what they say has been upheld,” he added.

In the tests conducted by NADA, six of India’s wrestlers, three swimmers, two runners and one netball player failed to clear the doping test, causing a huge embarrassment to the host nation.

Eleven out of the 12 cases have tested positive for Methylhexaneamine, used as a nasal decongestant and also found in geranium oil, used widely in the country.

Howard also said that any national agency had the right to challenge the rules of the international body handling the sporting event; however, WADA had no say in that.

“Any international federation should deal with its members of the national federation. If the national federations are not happy with the rules of their international parent, they outvote it. That’s the opportunity; they go to the General Congress and outvote it,” said Howard.

“That’s the right of the national federation. It’s not an anti-doping sanction, it’s a penalty imposed on their members under their membership rules. Nothing to do with us,” he added.

WADA has been hired by the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee to monitor the athletes during the mega sporting event.

Around 1,500 to 2,000 drug tests will be conducted before and during the Games.

Howard, however, stated that the agency would ensure that the anti-doping programme during the games would be a good one. (ANI)