After a stellar 2022 for India at the international level, there is increased scrutiny of top Indian track and field athletes.
A stellar success can at times come with a great deal of scrutiny from people belonging to different sections. But when this scrutiny comes in the form of dope tests then things look a little bit grom. This is what is precisely happening to the world of athletics. After a stellar 2022 for India at the international level, there is increased scrutiny of top Indian track and field athletes. This season saw five Indian athletes included in the Registered Testing Pool (RTP) of World Athletics (WA). The list was announced by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). The AIU is an independent body of World Athletics that is entrusted with the job of conducting dope tests and result management.
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The AIU’s testing is focused on elite athletes and those part of the RTP. The athletes are required to provide in advance whereabouts and a 60-minute time slot for dope tests. The filing of details is quarterly and athletes are allowed to update their entries in the web page provided for it if there are changes later. AIU updated its testing pool on Saturday for the current quarter. The RTP focuses on testing outside the field. The athletes should be available during the self-designated time slots. When an athlete is absent during this test, it is considered a missed test.
Three missed tests amount to an anti-doping violation. Although the doping test of AIU is done on a world level, this news has raised the eyebrows of the domestic federation as well. The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has promised to step up its surveillance. It has published a list of 149 athletes out of which 75 are from the world of athletics.
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A total of five athletes from the country have been included in the RTP’s list. Among the list of athletes who have fallen under the radar, Neeraj Chopra continues to be an old name. India’s four new inclusions are Annu Rani, Murali Sreeshankar, Avinash Sable and Abdulla Aboobacker.
Sable and Sreeshankar had a stellar season breaking national marks and winning silver at the Birmingham CWG. Rani, on the other hand, won bronze. Aboobacker won silver behind Eldhose Paul in India’s 1-2 finish in the triple jump. The scrutiny of AIU can create a huge problem for these athletes. National discuss thrower Kamalpreet Kaur has already tested positive in the tests. The athlete is already serving a three-year ban. Top sprinter Dhanalakshmi Sekar also returned positive following an AIU test and was banned for three years.
Although, as of yet the final verdict has not been served for these athletes. However, with the Paris Olympics around the corner, the coaches will be sweating for the judgements to get over soon.
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