NEW DELHI: The Rowing Federation of India (RFI) is shocked after NADA revelations that 22 junior men and women rowers have failed dope tests for the banned substance probenecid. The RFI is not certain and thinks food supplements might have caused it.
The tests were conducted at a national camp after which a 24-member team travelled to Pattaya for the Asian junior championship. Food supplements provided in national camps are SAI-approved. The RFI will write to the sports ministry to check for any adverse findings in that particular supplement.
“We will write to SAI and ask them to check whether the supplements have any inadequacies in this regard. We cannot fathom how this occurred as we take the utmost precaution during these camps,” RFI president Rajlaxmi Singh Deo said.
The rowers in question are mostly between 16 and 18. India will lose two silver medals won in Pattaya as the rowers didn’t opt for the optional provisional suspension after waiving off their rights for B sample testing.
The RFI is also confused how out of 32 rowers in the camp who had the same food supplements and diet, 22 tested positive. Most of them were from the Khelo India academy, with the camp taking place once a year for a short period of time. Also, historically it was one of India’s weakest performances.
“There are so many puzzling aspects. Why dope and perform badly? How and why only 22 tested positive? I have respect for NADA and don’t want to point fingers but these are questions worth asking,” Singh Deo added.
NADA DG Navin Agarwal asked the RFI to take responsibility. “Such things cannot occur during a national camp. Either the coaches or the organising committee should introspect and find out what went wrong. We have issued notices to all the rowers and they have said they want to contest it. So after necessary formalities, we will have hearings.”
RFI has said it supports coaches Jenil Krishnan, Dalvir Singh Rathore and Amit Singh, two of whom are Arjuna awardees. The substance probenecid is listed as a uricosuric and masking agent in World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited performance-enhancing drugs.