Vinesh Phogat, a prominent Indian wrestler and recently turned politician, has been served a notice by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for a whereabouts failure. This notice comes after she missed a scheduled dope test at her residence in Kharkhoda village, Sonepat, on September 9, 2024. The notice requires her to respond within 14 days, either accepting the failure or providing evidence that she was present at the specified location for the required 60 minutes.
Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement from professional wrestling following her disqualification from the Paris Olympics in August 2024. The disqualification was due to her being 100 grams overweight ahead of her 50kg category gold medal bout. This incident marked a significant turning point in her career, leading her to transition into politics.
The NADA Notice to Vinesh Phogat
The NADA notice is a result of Vinesh’s failure to be available for a dope test, which is a requirement for all athletes registered with NADA’s Registered Testing Pool (RTP). Athletes in the RTP must provide detailed information about their whereabouts to facilitate random dope testing. Failure to be available at the specified location and time is considered a whereabouts failure.
The notice from NADA stated, “A Dope Control Officer (DCO) was sent to test you on that day at that time and place. However, he was unable to locate you for testing as you were not available at the given location.” Vinesh now has to either accept the failure or provide evidence that she was present at the specified location for the required duration.
The National Anti-Doping Agency has issued a notice to wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat for failing to provide her whereabouts and has requested an explanation within 14 days. #VineshPhogat #Wrestling #NADA #IndianWrestling # pic.twitter.com/OOo0rqeSmu
— nnis Sports (@nnis_sports) September 25, 2024
A single whereabouts failure does not constitute an anti-doping rule violation. However, three such failures within a 12-month period can lead to charges by NADA. This notice is a significant development, especially as Vinesh is currently contesting in the Haryana Assembly election from the Julana constituency. Her political campaign has kept her busy, which might have contributed to her unavailability for the test.
Vinesh Phogat has yet to publicly respond to the notice. She has 14 days to provide her explanation to NADA. This period will be crucial for her, both in terms of her political career and her standing in the sports community. The outcome of this notice could have significant implications for her future endeavors.
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 for a whereabouts failure. This notice comes after she missed a scheduled dope test at her residence in Kharkhoda village, Sonepat, on September 9, 2024. ){kind=link}