A technician walks down the hallway at the Doping Control Laboratory, at the National Institute of Scientific Research Centre (INRS) Institute Armand-Frappier in Laval, Quebec, Canada January 15, 2018. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi/Files
A technician walks down the hallway at the Doping Control Laboratory, at the National Institute of Scientific Research Centre (INRS) Institute Armand-Frappier in Laval, Quebec, Canada January 15, 2018. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi/Files
New Delhi, August 23 (IANS): The National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) here has been suspended for a period of six months by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The development comes as a big blow for the anti-doping movement in the country with less than a year left to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
"This suspension has been imposed due to non-conformities with the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL) as identified during a WADA site visit," the world agency said in a press release.
The NDTL is the only laboratory in the country responsible for human sports dope testing. It was one of 34 WADA accredited laboratories in the world The irregularities, WADA said, included some in relation to the lab's radio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) analytical method.
"The suspension, which took effect on 20 August 2019, prohibits the NDTL from carrying out any anti-doping activities, including all analyses of urine and blood samples.
"During the period of suspension, samples that have not yet been analyzed by the NDTL; samples currently undergoing a confirmation procedure; and any samples for which an Adverse Analytical Finding has been reported, must be securely transported to another WADA-accredited laboratory," WADA said in its release on Thursday.
WADA also clarified that the NDTL can appeal the decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sports "within 21 days of receipt of notice.”
The agency has advised the NDTL to address all nonconformities during the period of suspension and if the WADA's Laboratory Expert Group (LabEG), which initiated the disciplinary proceedings, is satisfied by the work done, "it may apply for reinstatement prior to the expiry of the six-month suspension period."
Keeping an eye: BCCI CoA
The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) running the show at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not only taken note of the turn of events with regards to the WADA suspending NDTL, but the committee is now looking at the options they have after the current turn of events.
An area that the BCCI will have to look at is that the suspension took effect on August 20 and will end on February 20 -- unless it is challenged -- and as per the domestic calendar, most of the BCCI domestic tournaments will be done with by then.
Speaking to IANS, a CoA member said that the committee will discuss the matter with immediate effect and look at the road ahead and how exactly this hampers the testing process as far as the BCCI and Indian cricketers are concerned.
"We are yet to sit and discuss the matter, but we have an eye on it and will have to look at the whole episode and how exactly this affects us. If not NDTL, then what? That is something that will have to be decided upon as we are now under the ambit of NADA. Hopefully we have the answers soon," the member said.
. While the BCCI has always been apprehensive in the past, CEO Rahul Johri and GM Cricket Operations Saba Karim recently went ahead and agreed to have the BCCI come under the ambit of NADA.
The move was strongly criticised by the BCCI office-bearers, but Johri had called it the 'law of the land' while justifying the decision to join hands with NADA.
