Vinesh Phogat is in deep trouble! NADA issues notice for whereabouts failure

New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has issued a notice to the two-time World Championships medallist wrestler Vinesh Phogat for failure to comply with whereabouts requirements.

On June 27, a doping control officer (DCO) visited the address in Partap Colony, Sonipat, but Vinesh was not present at the location and could not be reached via phone. The DCO spent over 40 minutes trying to reach her and also called her husband Somvir Rathee but there was no response from his side as well, The Tribune said in a report on Thursday.

NADA’s project officer Ankush Gupta has requested a response from Vinesh regarding her non-compliance with the ADR’s whereabouts requirements.

Vinesh has 14 days to respond to this notice. However, Vinesh has little to worry about as this is the first time in 12 months that she has had a whereabouts failure, the report further said.

An Athlete in NADA’s Registered Testing Pool are required to provide the whereabouts information every quarter which includes: Home address, email address and phone number, an address for overnight accommodations, Competition schedules and locations and a 60-minute time slot for each day where they’ll be available and accessible for testing and liable for a potential ‘missed test’.

Any combination of three Whereabouts Failures (filing failures and/or missed tests) within a 12-month period constitutes an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under NADA Anti Doping Rules – Article 2.4, which may lead to the imposition of a sanction for up to 4 years.

Notably, IANS first reported about such an alert last week as renowned wrestling coach Ajit Singh suggested that NADA have to keep an eye on Vinesh and Bajarang while questioning their training stints abroad.

In an exclusive interview with IANS, former Sports Authority of India (SAI) coach Singh suggested that NADA should keep an eye on Vinesh and Bajrang Punia after the duo received a green signal from the Sports Ministry to train abroad ahead of the Asian Games and world championships.

“I am unable to understand the benefit of this small training stint abroad, when you take your coach, your physio, your sparring partner, then what is the use? Why can’t they train here in India? Or if they have any other plans then I can’t comment on this. Maybe they will get some ‘chamatkari kheer’ there and become Hulk instantly.

“I would suggest NADA (National Anti-Doping Agency) to keep an eye on. Also, Vinesh and Bajrang are not match-fit and they are taking unfit sparring partners with them. Sangeeta and Jitender were also with them in the Jantar Mantar protest.

“They also haven’t trained well so why pick these two unfit partners? Rather should have taken young new talent to spar. This tour and travel thing is so funny and at the same time disappointing too,” Singh had told IANS.