‘BCCI autonomous, won’t follow NADA doping code’
The BCCI on Friday said it is an ‘autonomous body affiliated to the International Cricket Council’, and refuted that it cannot be subjected to the jurisdiction of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
The Indian cricket board released separate letters written to NADA and the Department of Sports, asserting that it follows the ICC Code, which is based on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code.
Despite the pressure built by NADA and the Sports Ministry asking the agency to collect samples from cricketers during BCCI-recognised tournaments, the BCCI has asserted that it follows the necessary guidelines and none of its officials is supposed to coordinate with NADA on this.
BCCI conveyed to NADA that it “already has a robust dope-testing mechanism which is employed for competitions and out-of-competitions,” and the “testing of samples collected by International Doping Tests and Management (IDTM) is already being done at a WADA-accredited laboratory under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.”
BCCI said it is “affiliated to the ICC, which governs the game globally” and being a full member, it is also a “signatory to the WADA Code since 2006 and the ICC Code, which is based on the WADA Code”.
The board stated that it cannot be pushed under the NADA jurisdiction. “It is necessary to clarify that the BCCI is not a National Sports Federation (NSF) but an autonomous sports organisation affiliated to the ICC, which governs the game globally.”
The BCCI said that it has ‘adopted and implemented’ the ICC Code — which is based on the WADA Code — since 2011 as a full member of the cricket governing body.
“For analysis and testing of samples, BCCI adheres to the WADA International Standard for Laboratories and the WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations,” the letter said. “BCCI has adopted the WADA list of prohibited substances and prohibited methods, as amended by WADA from time to time, as more particularly set out in Article 4.1 to 4.3 of the BCCI code,” it added.
“BCCI has engaged the services of the same expert sample collection agency that is also engaged by the ICC to provide collection sample services viz. International Doping Tests & Management,” it said. The WADA has reportedly warned its Indian arm that it may lose affiliation if it fails to get the Indian cricketers under its jurisdiction, but the BCCI has stated it is not possible.
“BCCI is not a NSF. NADA does not have jurisdiction to conduct dope testing on Indian cricketers in any domestic competition or international events organised by or under the aegis of BCCI,” the Indian cricket body said.
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