It is inimical from the perspective of the Indian anti-doping agency as WADA suspends the accreditation of its National Dope Testing Laboratory in Delhi within months away from the Olympics. The world body has banned the center with immediate effect barring them from testing any further samples of athletes. The National anti-doping agency of India, NADA will now have to send the samples to the other accreditated centers outside the country.
The ban has been imposed because the laboratory flouted norms laid down by the world body. A media release by WADA says, “This suspension has been imposed due to non-conformities with the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL) as identified during a WADA site visit.”
The ban came into effect from August 20. However, NDTL can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne in the next 21 days. “Pursuant to Article 13.7 of the World Anti-Doping Code (WADA), the laboratory may appeal this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 21 days of receipt of notice.”
According to experts, NADA will have to bear the astronomical cost of testing athletes’ samples outside India. Being a penultimate year to the Olympics NADA has close to 5000 samples to be tested, which is overwhelming.
Image courtesy: spiegel.de
