Wisdom has finally dawned on the Union Sports Ministry in understanding the provisions in the World Anti Doping Code and the UNESCO Convention against Doping in Sports.
After having allowed the six female 400m runners to train at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Northern Regional Centre at Sonepat, Haryana, at Government expense, since their doping suspension last December, the ministry has decided that the SAI would no longer fund their training.
The decision was taken at a Steering Committee meeting chaired by the Secretary, Sports, Sindhushree Khullar, last Monday.
The athletes could, if required, seek further training assistance from their employers, the meeting opined.
How government organisations like the Railways and the Police to which some of the athletes belong, would respond to the needs of the athletes is to be seen only.
The SAI had explained at a Monitoring Committee meeting of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) here at the beginning of this month that there was no restriction on government support for training to such suspended athletes.
The six athletes — Mandeep Kaur, Ashwini A.C., Sini Jose, Jauna Murmu, Priyanka Panwar and Tiana Mary Thomas — had continued to train at Sonepat despite media reports pointing out that the SAI was breaching the Code.
Since neither the SAI nor the Union Government is signatory to the Code, a debate did ensue whether there was any need to be concerned about the Code provisions that did not directly deal with them.
What apparently prompted the ministry to change its stance was the following provision in the UNESCO Convention:
“States Parties shall, where appropriate: …take steps to withhold sport-related financial support to individual athletes or athlete support personnel who have been suspended following an anti-doping rule violation, during the period of their suspension.”
Having clearly violated the above provision in the UNESCO Convention to which the Government of India is a signatory, a damage control exercise has been set in motion.
The authorities are anxious to see that the athletes are kept in training for their return by June-end to compete in a few Olympic qualification relay races in order for India to qualify for the London Games.
Some ‘experts' have apparently advised the Government and its agencies that the women's relay team stood a good chance of not only qualifying but also a possible Olympic medal.
Meanwhile, no reinstatement testing has begun for the athletes. The rules of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) state that there would be four tests in all, with the first three out-of-competition tests to be spaced out by three months each.
At least ‘international-level athletes' Mandeep and Murmu would be required to go through these four tests before they are taken back, provided of course the one-year suspension stands.
The women are awaiting the decision of the appeal panel. There is every possibility that the IAAF/WADA would take the cases to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in case the WADA appeal for enhancement of suspension is dismissed.
