CHENNAI: The rising number of dope offences in its ranks has forced the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to issue an advisory asking wrestlers to exercise the highest degree of caution and personal responsibility in matters relating to anti-doping compliance. As many as four wrestlers, including two grapplers who were initially supposed to travel to the Asian Games, failed dope tests of late. Deepanshu (130kg Greco-Roman) and Mukul Dahiya (86kg freestyle) won the selection trials in their respective weight categories but failed the tests. With no replacement allowed for dope-tainted athletes at the quadrennial event, India will now go unrepresented in these weight categories in Japan.
Apart from the duo, two wrestlers — Nikhil (55kg Greco-Roman) and Rohit Kumar (65kg freestyle) — who won a gold and a silver respectively at the U23 national championships held in July this year, also returned dope positive and were provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). The suspension rendered them ineligible for the selection trials scheduled a few days later to pick the national team for the U23 Worlds. The NADA also issued a notice to Chirag Chhikara (57kg), who won a gold medal in the 2024 U23 World Championships.
"The WFI is deeply concerned about the increasing instances of anti-doping violations being reported in Indian sport, including cases involving the presence/use of prohibited substances as well as Whereabouts Failures. Such violations not only adversely affect the career and reputation of individual athletes but also undermine the integrity of the sport of wrestling," the WFI said in a circular issued on Friday.
The advisory asks the wrestlers to regularly check their NADA/ADAMS account and ensure all whereabouts information is complete, accurate and updated within the prescribed timelines. The WFI also said the wrestlers should exercise extreme caution regarding medicines, supplements and nutritional products. "Athletes must check the status of any medicine or substance before consuming it and should inform their treating doctor that they are subject to Anti-Doping Rules. Where necessary, athletes should seek guidance regarding a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE)," it said.
The federation also instructed the wrestlers not to consume any supplement or medication merely on the recommendation of a fellow athlete, coach, trainer, gym personnel or any other person without appropriate verification.
Anti-doping education and awareness initiative
The WFI has also decided to undertake a series of anti-doping education and awareness initiatives for wrestlers and their support personnel. Dedicated awareness sessions, practical demonstration on filling and updating whereabouts information/ADAMS, guidance on prohibited substances and medicines, interaction with NADA India experts, dissemination of educational material and periodic sensitisation programmes at national camps, academies and competitions are some of the initiatives the WFI will take.
"All wrestlers and athlete support personnel are advised to treat this matter with utmost seriousness. Athletes are reminded that anti-doping compliance is an individual responsibility, and every wrestler must take proactive steps to protect their career, reputation and the integrity of the sport," read the circular.