The South Asia Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (SA-RADO) result management training deliberated on the types of anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) and the procedures in addressing the judgment of the ADRVs in Thimphu yesterday.

Doping is referred to use of banned athletic performance-enhancing drugs by athletes.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which aims to bring consistency to anti-doping policies and regulations within sports organisations and governments, has identified 10 ADRVs where the athlete involved could be liable to the judgment from WADA.

The presence of prohibited substances or its metabolites or makers in an athlete’s sample, using a banned substance or method, evading, refusing or failing to comply to submit to sample collection, missing tests, interfering with doping control, possessing banned substances, supplying banned substances, helping someone use banned substances, helping someone get away with an ADRV and prohibited association where the athlete works with a banned person will be included under ADRV.

Legal manager of World Badminton Federation, Thomas Delaye-Fortin, said that there are specified and non-specified substances under the prohibited list provided by WADA. He added that of the prohibited substances the specified substances could be understood as substances which are more likely to have been consumed for a purpose other than the enhancement of sports performance.

The result management training also discussed the basics of ADRV cases such as the analytical cases where a lab confirms ADRV and the non-analytical cases where the ADRV hasn’t been proven. If an athlete is confirmed of ADRV, he or she will be on provisional suspension.

Thomas Delaye-Fortin said that the suspended athlete would go through a hearing followed by decision in a written form with reasons. The athlete can appeal the decisions to the appeal panel within 21 days of passing of decisions.

If an athlete is found consuming non-specified substances, he or she will be suspended. However, if an athlete is found consuming specified substances and other ADRVs, suspension is optional.

Director of Bhutan Anti-Doping Committee (BADC), Nima Gyeltshen, said that Bhutan didn’t have any doping cases. “If Bhutanese athlete is caught with ADRVs, then it could be because they are unaware of the rule,” he added.

BADC conducts ADRV awareness in the country through advocacy programmes and helps curb doping cases by conducting urine and blood tests of the athletes.

The result management training was aimed at making the region understand ADRVs and to address ADRVs with harmonised judgments by following the international anti-doping code.

Thomas Delaye-Fortin said that many countries are collaborating to exchange knowledge and experiences related to doping cases which can be helpful to monitor athletes and the people around them. “Athletes move from one country to another, and when that happens, it is important that police and anti-doping community are able to communicate,” he added.

Representatives of five member countries of SA-RADO attended the training organised by Bhutan Olympic Committee in collaboration with BADC.

SA-RADO is made up of Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

Phurpa Lhamo

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