Indian athletes in 2019: From wrestling, weightlifting to even cricket; NADA records 157 cases of doping violations

In what comes as shocking news for Indian sports lovers is that the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has recorded 157 doping violations from Indian athletes in the year 2019. 

According to a report in the Times of India, NADA’s anti-doping disciplinary panel has dished out punishments to 157 athletes for taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Most of the athletes have been from athletics, wrestling, weightlifting, judo and powerlifting. 

A total of 4236 athletes were tested over the last year, of which 2126 emerged to be in-competition and the remaining 2110 being out-competition.

The NADA also conducted tests on 40 cricketers – some of which represented India – during a four-month period. 

Of them, the in-ring testing competition stood at 22, while 18 were out-competition. The BCCI was initially not part of NADA, the Board, however, relented in August. 

Sports minister Kiren Rijiju had welcomed BCCI’s decision to come under NADA, terming it as a major step towards clean and transparent governance in sports.

NADA has also collected blood samples of 58 athletes who are part of the athletes’ biological passport scheme.

The body has also shortlisted 150 candidates, including some high-profile candidates likely to represent India at the Tokyo Olympics later this year. 

The selected athletes - belonging majorly from disciplines such as athletics, hockey, boxing, shooting, archery, badminton, wrestling, weightlifting and tennis - will undergo tests three times before leaving for Tokyo.