Over 200 urine samples sent to Bangkok for dope test

Guwahati, Feb 17 (UNI) Taking no chances, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has sent urine samples of about 300 Games athletes for dope testing to a WADA-accredited laboratory in Bangkok.

A dope-testing department official said here today that as per the IOA guideline, 250 urine samples have to be tested in an International Olympic Committee-authorised center and accordingly the officials made random collection of samples of both medal winners and other athletes and sent them for the test.

IOA has set stringent norms for dope testing during the Games in tune with international standards and has deputed a big team of anti-doping experts pooled from different parts of the country for the Games.

The team includes dope control officers, dope samplers and marshals and they collect over 200 samples everyday for testing.

Altogether fourteen dope control centers have been set up at different Games venues while Nehru Stadium Indoor Hall in the heart of the city houses the central dope control center.

All the samples after being processed at the center at Nehru Stadium are sent next morning to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory in Bangkok for final analysis.

Sources said that samples of athletes were being sent regularly and the fourth batch of the samples reached Bangkok yesterday.

IOA has instructed the dope team to keep strict vigil on weightlifters, track and field athletes, swimmers and wrestlers.

The results of the tests will take time to come, as they will be first sent to the IOA office, sources added.

UNI