The World Kabaddi League, on Tuesday, announced the list of 23 players who committed anti-doping rule violations, either before the draft or during and also in out of competition tests.
Eleven players were found to have violated anti-doping regulations in the time since the start of the inaugural Wave WKL, according to the organisers.
An additional 12 players were declared for adverse analytical findings by the WADA accredited laboratory, in the doping control out-of-competition tests at Ludhiana prior to the selection of the teams.
The names of all 23 players will be published on the official website of WKL.
The WKL created history by conducting 464 doping control tests till the last set of matches, in Jalandhar, last weekend.
191 doping control out-of-competition tests were also conducted at Ludhiana prior to the selection of teams.
Raman Raheja, Chief Executive Officer of WKL said, "We had implemented doping control tests, out-of-competition (OOC) as well as in-competitions (IC)."
WKL started in-competition doping control tests from the first league matches, held in the United Kingdom from August 9. Thereafter, it also implemented random out-of-competition tests to create a sense of responsibility and awareness among sportspersons that they could be tested anytime and anywhere.
The players who were asserted to have committed anti-doping rule violations during the league period in OOC tests were Jugraj Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Randeep Kumar, Sandeep Singh Ludhar, Gurpreet Singh Gill, Amandeep Singh Gill, Navneet Singh, and Eakam Singh.
The names of three other players, one from out-of-competition tests and two from in-competition tests have not been declared intentionally as their cases are under notice period, but these names will also be announced after due process is completed.
The WKL CEO said that all results were managed in compliance with international standards, respective players were given the opportunity to appear before the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Board, but many of the players waived off their right by not appearing before the board within the stipulated time period of 15 days.
The organisers in accordance with WKL Anti-Doping Standard and WADA Code will impose necessary sanctions on the players.
Commenting on the findings and the announcement, Pargat Singh, Commissioner WKL said, "Wave World Kabaddi league follows the World Anti-Doping Agency objective 'Play True' and the doping control program developed for the WKL with the objective of providing confidence to athletes that they are competing on a 'level playing field'.
"Its secondary function was to test athletes to ensure that they are not competing whilst under the influence of performance enhancing substances or methods; and finally the program aimed to provide information relating to the doping control rules and procedures; and on the consequences of doping in Kabaddi," he added.
