NADA to conduct doping tests for CWG

National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) will conduct all tests for the Commonwealth Games (CWG) to be held in October next year.

Manmohan Singh, Chairman, Medical and Anti Doping Commission, IOA and chairman Doping Control Committee for Commonwealth games told PTI here that since India has got the accreditation from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the Anti-Doping Rules of NADA have been approved and has become fully operational.

"NADA has adopted the WADA code for its application in India," Singh said.

He also added that the Government had already constituted three panels related to anti-doping measures in sports.

The National Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel will be headed by Dinesh Dayal, retired Additional District Judge, Delhi, and Anti-Doping Appeals panel will be headed by C K Mahajan, retired High Court judge.

"The Therapeutic Use Exemption Committee (TUEC) will comprise three eminent doctors, drawn from the Safdarjang Hospital and the AIIMS, New Delhi," Singh said.

Asked about arrangements for Commonwealth games, he said that infrastructure will be ready by much before the onset of games.

 Meanwhile, the powerful Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) has asked the Commonwealth Games Federation to exclude Fiji from next year's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi after the caretaker government failed to present a time schedule for the restoration of democracy in the country.

"In relation to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, consistent with the precedent of the earlier decision of CMAG, the Group requested the Commonwealth Games Federation to take into serious consideration CMAG's decision in relation to the suspension of the Fiji Islands, in determining Fiji's participation in the Games." the CMAG said in a statement after its meeting in New York.

Fiji has been fully suspended from the Commonwealth on September 1 this year following its failure to meet the ultimatum to come out with a time schedule to hold credible elections in the country no later than October 2010.

"CMAG reiterated that the Commonwealth was willing to remain engaged with Fiji in support of any good faith efforts towards the restoration of democracy, including the facilitation of a credible political dialogue process towards that end, in accordance with the Commonwealth principles.

"CMAG called on the interim government to urgently confirm its readiness to resume such a dialogue process as well as electoral preparations as a basis upon which Commonwealth engagement could move forward," it said.