It’s long been suspected but finally the truth is out: India’s system of dope-testing is a farce, and is open to manipulation. And, the testing done on Sanamacha Chanu and Pratima Kumari before they went to Athens, where they tested positive and were sent home in disgrace, was ‘‘casual’’. That’s the verdict of an inquiry committee set up by the Sports Authority of India to probe its own dope-testing lab at New Delhi’s Nehru Stadium with specific reference to the Athens scandal. It suggests that better testing would have saved India the embarrassment of being caught out on the biggest stage. The committee, headed by C R Gopinath, SAI’s Executive Director (Operations), says in its report: ‘‘It is clear that the approach in sample collection was casual and no seriousness has been shown.’’ The report—a copy is with The Indian Express—goes on to point out specific damning flaws: • Except for Karnam Malleswari’s urine samples, all the three other lifters’ samples (Pratima, Chanu and Kunjarani Devi) were collected by Shalu, a daily wage masseuse, who is not trained in the job. The job had been entrusted to Sudeshna, the competent SAI employee, but she had other ‘‘urgent work’’, the report says. So her name was cut and Shalu’s name incorporated in the sample collection form • The mandatory signature identification of the lifters who were tested was missing from the forms • Of the four samples collected on August 2, Kunjarani’s was not accepted by the laboratory since the colour of Sample A did not match with that of Sample B • On August 4, her sample was collected — this time by Dr Sarla, a medical officer working with SAI, South Centre. But without proper authorisation. The committee found that Dr Sarla was asked to carry out the job over phone by the ED (Teams) but again without the lifter being accompanied by a witness • Though the samples were received, stored and registered by authorised staff with due diligence, the committee pointed out that the room in which the samples are stored is freely accessible, and located near a room occupied by group D staff. The store room, the report says, ‘‘should not be as approachable as it is today.’’ The commitee made some other recommendations, including creation of a separate division for sample collection with a middle-level officer in charge and proper frisking of athletes before they enter toilets for sample collection. The report, handed over recently to SAI D-G JP Singh, has since been forwarded to the ED (Teams), M P Ganesh. A copy is likely to be sent to the Sports Ministry as is the protocol.
