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WADA: From the horse's mouth

by RajaB

We have been hearing many things about WADA and “Whereabouts” in the last couple of weeks. Some sections of the media reported that WADA might scrap the “Whereabouts” clause. This made a certain section of pro-establishmentarians rejoice.

There were many who read certificates of righteousness for the cricketers in question and those who proclaimed “Didn’t I say the BCCI is powerful”.

At Bored we contacted the protagonist, WADA with a set of questions through email and Ms. Julie Masse, WADA’s Communication Director responded to our queries.I am sure this clears the air. More than clearing, educates us about the regulations and the need for them.

On the report that the “Whereabout” clause would be scrapped next year

WADA will look at the way the “Whereabouts” rules have been practically implemented by International Sport Federations and National Anti-Doping Organizations, and will assess the situation at the end of the year. This is not a review

So WADA is not looking at scrapping the clause, they would improve on it.

On the need for out of competition testing

Out-of-competition testing is crucial to the fight against doping, in particular because a number of prohibited substances and methods are detectable only for a limited period of time in an athlete’s body while maintaining a performance-enhancing effect

So the three months off cricket period could be the the time when their mom or WAG would give them those slimming pills (sounds familiar ??). Post three months the slimming pill would have completely gone down the gutter but its “enhancing effects” might stay on for a while, till they play next.

On “Whereabouts”

The new element introduced by the 2009 International Standard for Testing (IST) is the harmonization, requested by WADA’s stakeholders during the revision process, of the various whereabouts requirements applied by different anti-doping organizations. A number of pre-existing regimes involved athletes providing more extensive whereabouts information than is now required by the IST. What the 2009 Standard did is harmonize whereabouts requirements among Code signatories, i.e. to a broader range of sports

So “Whereabouts” clause wasn’t written by some drunken old monk in the Swiss Alps. It was born after harmonizing the various regimes that were prevalent in the various sports and after careful consultation with the bodies involved.

ICC is the (latest) sports body that is looking at WADA and anti-dope regulations now. So BCCI as a constituent of ICC should look at ways of harmonizing the regulations to their own sports need.

How does one do that ?

Work with WADA, give your inputs to improve the regime and the rules that govern it now. Any case that is precisely what WADA is trying to do.

On WADA’s contacts with NADA in India

WADA’s role is to monitor implementation of and compliance with the Code. This includes the monitoring of the Indian NADA. In general, WADA also reviews organizations in place to conduct anti-doping programs and makes recommendations to assist them in the development of such anti-doping programs

This means that the BCCI would have to comply to the WADA regulations even if they decide to subscribe to the NADA regulations. All roads lead to Rome ( I'm not talking Indian politics here)

On the difficulty a team sport might face complying to the "Whereabouts" clause

The filing requirement is the same as individual sport, but it is acknowledged that Athletes in Team Sports have a lot of collective (team based) activities, and therefore provision is made for them to delegate the task of filing whereabouts information, and/or any updates, to a third party, such as a coach, agent, manager or team official, provided the third party agrees. (Reference International Standard for testing IST 11.3.6)

So the person who keeps the demigod's diary, the days when he is off for shoots, to fulfill endorsement obligations etc. could easily take care of this too.

On WADA and FIFA / UEFA

Both FIFA and UEFA have rules that are Code compliant and fully recognize the whereabouts rules

They still are working with WADA, which is precisely what a BCCI should do. Work with them for the greater good of the sport.

WADA is required for ensuring that we have a level playing field. In these days when most of us are too floored by our cricketers, when we worship them. There is a possibility that some of us might even go to an extent that we feed our kids with (the same) a diuretic to make our kids mirror them. So we need someone who tells us what is right and also names & shames the wrongdoers.

Let's decide if we want, a clean entertainer or a stoned thriller ?

Click here for the complete WADA coverage on Bored


RajaB also blogs at The Twelfth Man

12 comments:

Gaurav Sethi said...

Welcome on bored Masse sahib!

Rock on Raja!

straight point said...

well done BCC! and well done Raja for going all the way to wada...

having said that...the questionnaire would have come more powerfully sans comments of blogger...

there was no need to color readers thoughts...let the reader interpret the statements the way he/she wants to...trust the intelligence of readers/visitors...

RajaB said...

@NC: Thanks a million

RajaB said...

@SP: Except for the blue colour I have used for the quotes (the WADA speak) I haven't coloured anything else !!

I respect the readers intelligence, trusting it is another thing... I believe that one should guide the reader through in making an intelligent decision. That is precisely what I have done.

Sans the comments this would have been reproducing the mail Ms. Masse wrote to me. I frankly didn't want to be a messenger. We could have done that had this been a video. I am sure we would do one soon and there, I promise we wouldn't put our thoughts as subtitles !!

Thanks a million SP !!

sraghuna said...

Good one ... equine utterances to render our brats in blue STONE COLD SOBER ... looking for bottles of WAG/Mom love!!!

RajaB said...

@Sraghuna: Thanks !!

Goutham Chakravarthi L S said...

Yeah right! It's like saying all pretty girls are spinners because they make heads 'turn'!

Bhaskar Khaund said...

Awesome work Raja !

RajaB said...

@ Bhaskar Thanks BK !!

Shankar Shikra said...

Awesome write up Raja, keep it up and continue with more interesting topics on the same niche. I love cricket leagues like CCL 2016 and all Indian Cricket.

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