NADA conducts surprise raid at NIS Patiala, takes dope samples

A four-member NADA team, headed by Project Officer doctor Ankush Gupta, raided the premises of NIS and searched rooms of the campers, besides taking urine samples.

"A four-member team raided NIS, searched the rooms of the campers there and took urine samples also for dope testing," NADA director general Rahul Bhatnagar told PTI.

"The team headed by Project Officer Dr Ankush Gupta and comprising Jay Singh, Asst Project Officer and two other members, one of whom was a lady officer, reached NIS Patiala at 1 pm from Delhi.

"The team also collected the urine samples of 27 sportspersons on a random basis -- Weightlifting 15 men, athletics -- 6 (4 men and 2 women), boxing -- 4(2 men and 2 women) and wrestling -- 2 women. These samples will be brought to Delhi for testing at the NDTL," Bhatnagar said.

Bhatnagar, however, said that the raid was a part of the routine drive of NADA to increase monitoring of athletes from using performance-enhancing drugs.

"This action has been taken in pursuance of NADA's decision to intensify action for the prevention of doping in sports, which will include surprise checks of the rooms of sports persons and coaches and collection of urine samples," he said.

"NADA will continue its strong campaign against doping and surprise checks will be done on a regular basis at the various centres where sportspersons are training," Bhatnagar added.

The chief of the national anti-doping biody also stated, "While NADA fully supports and encourages clean sportspersons, it will take the most stringent measures against those indulging in doping or other Anti Doping Rule violations," Bhatnagar said.

The raid and taking of samples was not directed to track and field athletes only but to all the campers at the NIS.

"It was not directed to track and field athletes. The team raided the rooms of other non track and field campers also and took samples from them. It was part of our routine drive under our increased vigilance to tackle doping," he said.

"The team checked the rooms of 20 sportspersons (14 men and 6 women) and three coaches, two of whom were foreign coaches and one Indian coach. No food supplements or other substances were found in the rooms of the coaches.

"However supplements were found in the rooms of nine men and four women. 13 Samples of these supplements were sealed in the presence of the sportspersons and will be brought for checking to Delhi. Out of the three coaches checked twp were of athletics and one was of boxing," he informed.

Eight track and field athletes tested positive for anabolic steroids in one of the worst doping scandals in the country and six of them trained at the NIS Patiala.

Mandeep Kaur, Sini Jose and Ashwini Akkunji, who were part of the 4x400m relay quartet that won gold in the Commonwealth and Asian Games last year, and three other quartermilers Jauna Murmu, Tiana Mary Thomas and Priyanka Panwar were training at NIS when they were caught for doping.

Of the other two dope-tainted athletes, long jumper Hari Krishnan Muralidharan trained at Pune while Sonia was not in any national camp.

The 'B' samples of Mandeep, Sini, Jauna and Mary Thomas have also tested positive while the results of 'B' samples of Ashwini and Priyanka are awaited.

Hari Krishnan and Sonia are yet to test their 'B' samples. Sports minister Ajay Maken has ordered an inquiry by former Punjab and Haryana high court chief justice Mukul Mudgal to probe into the doping scandal.

Ukrainian coach Yuri Ogorodnik, who trained the women's 400m, 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay team, was sacked while the other two Indian coaches RS Sidhu and Ramesh Nagapuri were suspended and served showcause notice respectively.