Sports Ministry states NADA testing not mandatory for BCCI
After five months of discussions between BCCI and Sports Ministry, it is now decided that the cricket board can get their samples tested by the IDTM without any involvement of NADA. WADA had earlier threatened that NADA would lose their accreditation if they failed to take BCCI under their ambit.
It was reported in October last year that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was adamant in getting BCCI within its jurisdiction for conducting doping tests of cricketers. Not only had they threatened NADA of losing its accreditation with the WADA if they failed to do it, but they were also forcing India’s Sports Minister, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, and International Cricket Council (ICC) to put pressure on the Indian cricket board to comply with the same.
Rathore was quite inclined towards the idea and had stated in November that the BCCI should trust NADA in this. He had even written numerous letters to the board.
"I am glad that cricket is getting dope testing done by an outside agency. But when all national sports bodies and also of some other countries trust our Nada, the cricketers can also do that," Rathore had said back then, reported TOI.
However, BCCI, who has their association for testing samples with a Sweden-based private firm, the International Doping Tests & Management (IDTM), had downright rejected the idea. Their argument was it is an autonomous body affiliated to the ICC and was operating within the rules and regulations set by the world body.
And it seems that BCCI has been successful in fending the Sports Ministry and NADA off its back after months of discussions, as Rathore recently clarified that BCCI can continue with its current procedure with NADA involvement not no more mandatory.
“The ministry wants every athlete to be tested. Whoever is conducting dope tests, the ministry has no objection," said Rathore on Friday in response to a query by TOI pertaining to the issue.