Two promising judo players training at SAI NCOE Bhopal failed out-of-competition dope tests
Navneet Singh
Nearly four years ago, promising international judo player Nandini Vats from Delhi was scouted for the NCOE (National Centre of Excellence) in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The Bhopal NCOE, under the aegis of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), is considered the best in the country, with modern facilities and ample exposure opportunities for judokas.
Earlier this year, in January, Nandini failed an out-of-competition dope test for a performance-enhancing drug (metandienone) in a test conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and was provisionally suspended. She had to quit the NCOE, as she can no longer use government facilities to train, as per norms.
Another promising judoka, Monika Chaudhary from Rajasthan, also failed an out-of-competition test for a similar banned substance (metandienone), according to NADA records. Monika, too, is under provisional suspension and could face a four-year ban for her first doping offence. Metandienone is an anabolic steroid banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
“It’s unfortunate that two budding judo players have failed out-of-competition dope tests for performance-enhancing drugs before they could succeed in winning medals in the senior group at the international level,” a senior judo coach familiar with the development said.
SAI has made huge investments to nurture budding athletes. The SAI Bhopal centre has good infrastructure and a strong support system for young athletes, according to a SAI official. Both judo players were in their early 20s, and it is surprising that despite having access to quality training facilities, they have fallen prey to doping.
“At the SAI centre in Bhopal, judo players get all the facilities required to develop their game. On an average, the annual expenditure on each player is Rs five lakh,” said a SAI official who is not authorised to speak to the media.
However, top judo players training in Bhopal failing dope tests is a cause for concern that the authorities need to address immediately. Earlier, judoka Deepanshu also tested positive and was removed from Bhopal’s NCOE for indiscipline.
“Despite having regular anti-doping seminars for awareness, young players are taking shortcut routes to fame. The trend is a worrying factor,” the judo coach familiar with the development added.
Ajay Singh, the judo coach who was overseeing the training of Monika and Nandini along with other female players, was not available for comment.
When contacted, Nandini said she has quit Bhopal’s NCOE but didn’t elaborate on her positive test. “I’ve quit NCOE in Bhopal and am currently training in Delhi,” Nandini told Sportsbackstory.com.
SAI officials in Bhopal are tight-lipped about the doping issue. Precautionary measures, if any, taken to avoid anti-doping violations in the future had not come to light at the time of writing this copy.
