Athletes pull fast one on dope-testing team

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http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story ... t_id=87295

Athletes pull fast one on dope-testing team

WADA team lands up at Patiala camp, finds all 12 ‘missing’

NAVNEET SINGH

Posted online: Sunday, February 05, 2006 at 0000 hours IST


PATIALA, FEBRUARY 4: Four frustrated officials of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) left the NIS here this afternoon after failing to trace 12 athletes they wanted to test. Instead, they had to be content taking samples from some weightlifters and boxers practising for the Melbourne Commonwealth Games here.

It was strongly reminiscent of a recent incident at a Bangalore camp when lifters had eluded WADA officials. The IAAF had then slapped a fine of $5,000 on the absconding lifters; it is not yet clear what fine will be levied on the athletes.



The WADA team landed at the NIS campus here at 4pm yesterday for out-of-competition dope tests. Most of the 12 on the WADA officials’ list had been to Doha and then Potchefstroom in South Africa on an ‘‘exposure trip’’ in which they neither experienced any foreign coaching nor took part in any meet.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had cut short the trip eight days ahead of schedule, citing a domestic meet on February 15, and recalled all athletes. That may not be the full truth, because it now appears that they were tracked to South Africa by the WADA team, who then pursued them here.

It is mandatory for the national federation to keep the International Associations of Athletics Federation (IAAF) posted on the whereabouts of top stars of the country, and The Sunday Express has confirmed that the IAAF was told that the athletes would be here Friday.

But the athletes remained untraceable.

On their arrival here, the WADA officials had immediately gone to the practice venue. Then the fun started. Athletics officials present told the WADA officials that the athletes had finished their day’s training and gone to their respective hostels.

A frantic search was launched till late last night and also this morning. Not one of the athletes on the list (including the only woman on the list, discus thrower Harwant Kaur) could be traced.

The WADA officials were quite perturbed at the lack of cooperation from both, chief national athletics coach Bahadur Singh, and national camp coordinator Sanjay Garnaik. “We didn’t get any cooperation from athletics officials,â€Â