CHENNAI: It’s one of the first high-profile cases of doping to hit Indian football. But the man at the centre of the storm — national team goalkeeper Subrata Paul — maintains that he is innocent and can escape a lengthy ban.
The drama started when it emerged that Subrata had failed a dope test conducted on March 18, when he was with the national team. National Anti-doping Agency director general Navin Agarwal confirmed that terbutaline had been found in the footballer’s system, “On March 18, we tested some football players and one of them tested positive for terbutaline,” he said. “We sent a notice to him on April 20.”
NADA’s revelation that the player, and his club DSK Shivajians, knew of the positive test on April 20, tallies with DSK’s decision to abruptly drop Subrata against Bengaluru FC two days later.
Terbutaline is taken when people have trouble breathing or a medical condition such as asthma. Subrata claims it was administered to him by the national team’s doctor because he had a cough.
“I spoke with the team doctor,” Subrata told Express.
“He had given me this because I had cough and cold. The doctor, the federation and my club, everybody is with me.”
Subrata’s version was backed by sources close to the national team who confirmed that the keeper had disclosed in the forms he filled out prior to the test that he was taking medicines for cough. And while reports emerged that the player had been provisionally banned, Agarwal said no such ban had been imposed.
“We have not placed the player under suspension, we have sent him a notice,” he said.
“He can continue to play wherever he is playing, but proceedings will be there and if it is proved that he did something, then ineligibility can be imposed and the results of matches he played during this period can be nullified.”
Although WADA rules call for athletes to obtain Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) before using medicines with terbutaline, there is precedent for Subrata to get a reduced ban on the medicinal use argument. In 2014 British cyclist Simon Yates tested positive for the same drug, without a TUE.
But after he argued that it was part of an asthma drug and that he did not ingest enough to boost performance, Yates was given a reduced ban of four months. The player added there was no reason for him to dope at this stage of his career.
“I’ve been playing for the national team for 11 years,” he said. “I’ve done more than 15 tests. If I wanted this, I should have done this much earlier. There is nothing to prove for me right now.”
vishnu.prasad@newindianexpress.com