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Journalism of Courage
Less than a fortnight after the World Series Hockey (WSH) concluded,discarded India goalkeeper Adrian DSouza,who captained Mumbai Marines in the competition,is reported to have tested positive for a banned substance.
According to reports,DSouzas A sample collected during a random test came out positive for higher concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),a metabolite of marijuana. The test was conducted on March 21. The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA),appointed for the competition,conducted the tests and 12 samples were taken during the month-long WSH. Mumbai played against Sher-e-Punjab in Jalandhar on the day the sample was taken.
Results of ten of the samples have been received,of which one is positive. We have informed the organisers and the concerned player on April 11 and he can now ask for a B sample test within seven days. In case that also comes positive,he will have to face a NADA hearing panel, NADA director general Rahul Bhatnagar told The Indian Express. He,however,refused to name the player.
Interestingly,according to WADA rules,the name of the athlete testing positive for a banned substance has to be kept secret till the B sample is tested,but the convention wasnt followed in this case. When contacted,several other NADA officials too refused to reveal the athletes name officially,insisting it wasnt allowed.
Dr. PSM Chandran,former director of sports medicine with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the medical officer with WSH,said the release of the name amounted to breaking of WADA rules. However,given the fact that marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug but a recreational drug and widely available,it is very much possible for someone to inadvertently get it in their system. Its not like the person has cheated for any benefits,because in this case there are none; so it is possible for the player to get away with just a warning, he said.
Also,since marijuana is on the WADA list of specified substances,Adrian will not be provisionally banned during the period of testing and hearing and is free to compete.
Though a copy of the report has also been marked to Hockey India in its capacity as the national governing body for the sport in the country,HI secretary general Narinder Batra said he was yet to get it. I cannot comment till then, he said.
Yannick Colaco,COO of Nimbus Sports,co-organisers of the WSH,admitted that NADA was appointed for the competition. However,we are yet to receive the official report. Once we do that,we will be in a better position to comment. However,the fact remains that Adrian is one of the more mature players we have and the WSH has faith in him, he said. Adrian himself was unavailable for comment.
