The trouble with Ostarine: Jimmy Wallhead’s
16th March 2018
Features
Over 17% of NADA India tests result in an AAF
India’s national anti-doping agency (NADA India) reported 79 adverse analytical findings (AAFs – or ‘positive tests’) during 2020/21, 17.9% of the 442 samples it collected during the period from April 2020 to March 2021. This percentage of positive tests is far higher than figures reported by other national anti-doping organisations.
NADA Deutschland reported 35 AAFs, 0.3% of the 11,970 samples it collected during 2020, its Annual Report reveals. The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) reported 76 AAFs, 1.5% of the 5,117 samples it collected during 2020, its Annual Report revealed. Globally, 2,774 AAFs were reported during 2019, 1.05% of the 263,519 samples collected, the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) 2019 Testing Figures Report reveals.
In addition, NADA India managed to issue 43 sanctions during the year, 40 of which involved bans being issued to athletes. In comparison, NADA Deutschland reported just six ADRVs during 2020. USADA also issued 43 sanctions, despite conducting 4,675 more tests than NADA India during 2020.
The figures don’t necessarily mean that India has a doping problem. Prohibited supplements regularly turn up in supplements, contaminated food or medication.
Such an eventuality apparently occurred at a training camp in December 2019. In June last year, NADA India announced that 22 junior rowers reported AAFs for probenecid, massively boosting NADA India’s AAFs for the year. Food supplements were blamed, and it is understood that investigations are in progress.
NADA India’s test distribution plan is also interesting. A total of 178 tests were performed in athletics, over 40% of the total. In cricket, considered to be India’s biggest sport, 61 tests were conducted; whereas 74 tests were conducted in shooting, a sport not known for doping issues.
On 27 October, NADA India confirmed two four year bans issued to wrestler Arjun Yadav and Prince Chaudhary, a 2019 u16 100m Champion. Yadav’s ADRV involved Methandienone and his ban will expire on 27 December 2023; whilst Chaudhary’s ADRV involved Metenolone. His ban will expire on 26 August 2024. It has been reported that his four year ban has been halved, but that hasn’t been confirmed by NADA India.
