WADA not happy with CWG dope testing procedure

The World Anti-Doping Agency has expressed its displeasure to the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee over the manner in which dope testing is being carried out.

According to sources, international standards of dope testing have not fully been followed in the Games.

Standard dope testing procedure has not been fully complied with starting from collection of samples at the venue till making it available at the WADA-accredited laboratory.

Citing instances, they said at a particular venue the stipulated form for doping known as the 'chain of custody' went missing after the samples (blood and urine) were collected.

Chain of custody contains all details starting from collection of samples till it reaches the venue. It contains information like date, time and place of sample collection, name, date of birth, gender, home address and telephone number of the athlete, athlete's sport and discipline, signature of the athlete and the collecting officer and the time it was transported from the venue till the time it reached the laboratory.

Sources said, some such forms went missing and finally the dope control officer had to make his own interpretations in the form and fill up the information on his own.

According to them, similar instances in the past had led to distance runner Sunita Rani testing positive for nandrolone in the post-race dope tests at Busan Asian Games in October 2002.

She was given a clean chit after it was found that there was serious discrepancy in the testing procedure at the Seoul laboratory, they said.

The sources said samples collected at the venue and sample collection documentation were not being securely stored.

They said that the WADA has also questioned about the qualification of the dope control officer appointed for the Games.

The DCO should be provided a secured conveyance for carrying such items to the respective laboratory. But it was not done in most of the cases, the sources said.