Vinesh Phogat Receives Notice from NADA for Missing Dope Test
The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has issued a notice to former wrestler and politician Vinesh Phogat for failing to be available for a dope test. Vinesh, who recently retired from wrestling and joined the Congress party, missed the test on September 9 at her home in Kharkhoda village. She has 14 days to respond.
All athletes registered with NADA’s Registered Testing Pool (RTP) must provide their availability for dope tests. If they are unavailable at the given time, it is considered a whereabouts failure. Vinesh is part of this RTP.
On Wednesday, the notice was issued to Vinesh, who reached the Olympics finals in Paris this year in the 50 kg category but was disqualified for breaching the weight limit. She appealed for a silver medal but did not receive it and retired from the sport. Shortly after, she joined Congress and is a candidate for the Julana assembly seat in the Haryana polls on October 5.
The NADA notice stated, “You are hereby given a formal notice to notify you about apparent failure to comply with the whereabouts requirements of the ADR, and to invite you to make any comments before we come to a final decision on the matter.”
Vinesh needs to either accept her failure to be present or provide evidence that she was at the location for around 60 minutes. One whereabouts failure does not mean an anti-doping rule violation, but three within 12 months could lead to charges.
Doubts Revealed
NADA -: NADA stands for National Anti-Doping Agency. It is an organization in India that makes sure athletes do not use drugs to unfairly improve their performance.
Dope Test -: A dope test checks if athletes have used drugs to unfairly improve their performance in sports. It helps keep competitions fair.
Vinesh Phogat -: Vinesh Phogat is a famous Indian wrestler who has won many medals. She recently retired from wrestling and joined the Congress party, which is a political party in India.
Congress party -: The Congress party is one of the major political parties in India. It has been around for a long time and has had many leaders who have become Prime Ministers of India.
Kharkhoda village -: Kharkhoda village is a place in India where Vinesh Phogat lives. It is located in the state of Haryana.