New Delhi: One of India’s top wrestlers, Radhika (68kg), has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency for a second time for a failed dope test, following the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s ruling on WADA’s appeal against her exoneration by NADA’s adjudication panel. Upholding the appeal, CAS called for a fresh investigation by NADA in her case.
Surprisingly, the case has been dragging on since November 2022, when Radhika tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol. The drug is known to enhance aerobic capacity and cause fat loss. It is also illegally used as a growth promoter in livestock rearing in some countries. In her defence before NADA’s anti-doping disciplinary panel, Radhika alleged meat contamination as the reason for the substance entering her body.
She was subsequently cleared in May 2024 after NADA’s follow-up test on her came back negative. WADA, however, appealed the decision in CAS, contending that “NADA India did not adequately investigate the ATF (Atypical Finding)” and citing the absence of any “concrete evidence” of meat contamination provided by the athlete.
Highlighting its full line of investigation for “potential meat contamination cases,” WADA said NADA should have reviewed the athlete’s steroid Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) and examined prior testing history for any abnormalities. It should also have collected information on the athlete’s whereabouts and meat consumption before sample collection, determined whether clenbuterol is used as a livestock growth promoter in the country where the meat was bought, and gathered details about the source of the meat product and purchase records.
“There is no indication of an investigation by NADA India into the possibility that meat could be contaminated with clenbuterol in India, as required by WADA steps 6-8,” WADA said.
The global anti-doping body pointed out that such cases are more common in China, Mexico, and Guatemala, where the drug is used as a growth promoter in livestock, but are not known in India.
Showing NADA figures, WADA said there were hardly any positive cases for clenbuterol in India. “If clenbuterol-contaminated meat was truly a concern in India, it is obvious that many more positives would have been reported,” as per WADA’s submission in CAS.
Radhika told NADA panel that had not travelled to China, Guatemala, or Mexico prior to October 2022 and not taking any medicine in 2022.
WADA also called it “inexplicable that NADA India sat on this investigation for 19 months before even interviewing the athlete. “Such timelapse does not absolve NADA India of its responsibility to investigate in accordance with the required steps set out in the WADA rules, to assess whether the source of the ATC was more likely than not meat contamination.”
CAS ruled in favour of WADA, setting aside NADA’s decision to exonerate her and referring the matter back to NADA for “further investigation.” “The Athlete must not be prejudiced in this arbitration by shortcomings in NADA India’s investigation,” it said.
NADA, in its latest list of doping violations on Thursday, has provisionally suspended Radhika, who also competed for India at the World Championships last year.
Surprisingly, the new doping violation cases include three more athletes who tested positive for clenbuterol. Wrestlers Priyanka and Nitin, and volleyball player Shahbaj Ali, tested positive for the same prohibited substance and have been provisionally suspended.
