WADA suspends India's Dope Testing Laboratory, IOA blames NADA for suspension

New Delhi, August 23: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has suspended the accreditation of India's National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) for six months in what could be a massive blow to anti-doping movement in the country with less than a year left for Tokyo Olympics.

 

The suspension, which took effect on 20 August 2019, prohibits the NDTL from carrying out any anti-doping activities, including all analyses of urine and blood samples. It is understood that National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) can still carry on with sample collection of blood and urine but will have to get it tested by a different WADA accredited laboratory outside India during the suspension period of NDTL. This suspension has been imposed due to non-conformities with the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL), WADA stated in a media release on its website.

Pursuant to Article 13.7 of the World Anti-Doping Code, NDTL can appeal against suspension to Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne in the next 21 days.

However, International Olympic Association (IOA) President Narinder Batra has said that they will also have to pay in dollars instead of rupees and the National Sports Federations (NSFs) are not in a position to bear the extra cost, and there is no any point in bearing the extra cost when it is NADA’s mistake.