Five centrally contracted Indian players get Nation Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) notices after failing to disclose their whereabouts. Cricketers including Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul have received a notice from NADA. Two women India players such as Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma are among the five centrally contracted players in the 110 strong National Registered Testing Pool (NRTP).
While speaking to PTI, NADA DG Navin Agarwal have confirmed the news of BCCI sending an official explanation for their five NRTP players’ failure to submit their whereabouts.
KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja among many get NADA notice
“There are two ways to fill up the whereabouts form in the ADAMS (Anti-Doping Administration & Management Systems) software. Either athlete does it himself or association fills it upon his or her behalf.
Now athletes in some discipline aren’t educated enough or do not have access to the internet and find themselves unable to handle the whereabouts clause of the ADAMS or upload the filled up form. They use the assistance of their concerned federations. So federations have accepted the responsibility of uploading their whereabouts”, said Navin Agarwal.
He stated that cricketers find it tough to complete this process on their own. BCCI usually completes this for them by uploading their whereabouts. They haven’t been able to upload the three month whereabouts this time due to the password glitch in ADAMS an issue which now has been resolved.
It is a technical glitch: BCCI
“Similarly in cricket also, although these people are well qualified and they can do it, perhaps they don’t have the time for whatever reasons, so the federation concerned, the BCCI has taken upon itself the responsibility of uploading their whereabouts”.
“Well they have given an explanation which appears to be reasonable but a decision will be taken. They have said that there has been a glitch with regards to password in ADAMS. Now they have said that issue has been resolved”, Agarwal added.
“BCCI’s explanation will be discussed as to whether it will be counted as one of three filing failures or not. It will be decided on the explanation given and how they (BCCI) proceed from here”, said the NADA DG.
The rule for the players to submit their whereabouts is necessary even in this lockdown. Three such failures lead to one Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV), which ultimately can lead to a suspension of two years upon hearing. A BCCI veteran has asked the five central contracted cricketers about why they were not able to upload the form themselves.
“This was a lockdown period where they are not living out of suitcases. Some of the names have also engaged in multiple Instagram chats and podcasts which their agents are managing”, he said.