Even though India shares the dubious distinction of being at the top of the current batch of dope offenders (53) along with Russia on the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)’ suspended athletes’ list, not a single Indian athlete features in the IAAF’s latest Registered Testing Pool (RTP).
The RTP is considered a deterrent for athletes as there is a possibility of an athlete featuring in it being tested out-of-competition anywhere anytime unannounced.
With the Commonwealth Games scheduled to start on July 23 and the Asian Games on September 19, the RTP assumes greater importance.
Even though the IAAF focuses on world’s top athletes while preparing its RTP, the international body had kept a maximum of 10 Indians in the list at some time or the other after their incredible showing in the Commonwealth Games here in 2010.
This is the first time since October 2010 that the Indians have been left out of the RTP.
In 2010, IAAF had not tested any Indian athlete out-of-competition.
Following the country’s creditable performances in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games that year, the apex body swung into action in 2011, which subsequently led to the positive tests of six woman quarter-milers.
Of the six suspended 400m runners, Mandeep Kaur and Jauna Muru had featured in the March 3 RTP this year, having been brought back into it last December.
However, their names have been removed in the latest list, released on March 25.
Almost throughout last season, six Indian athletes were retained in the RTP with walkers K.T. Irfan (who finished 10th in the London Olympic Games 20km event) and Gurmeet Singh and woman discus thrower Krishna Poonia figuring in it.
Eminent Olympian hurdler Gurbachan Singh Randhawa said the recent below-par showing of the Indian athletes was the reason behind their names missing from the RTP.
“Right now nobody is performing well. If they (IAAF) know that the Indians are doing well, they may keep some of them,” he said.
Middle distance runner Sriram Singh, a two-time Asian Games 800m gold medallist, said some top Indians should have been there in the RTP.
“If no Indian is there in the list, then the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) should do some out-of-competition testing. This will create a fear of being caught,” he said.
Randhawa agreed. “NADA has a big responsibility and they should be very active.
“They should prepare their own lists of athletes, boxers, wrestlers etc. and test them frequently.”
