NEW DELHI: India's renowned sprinter Dutee Chand, celebrated for her remarkable achievements in the 100m category, has been subjected to a substantial setback with a four-year ban from competition. The suspension comes as a result of her failure in two out-of-competition drug tests for selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs). The ban, effective from January 3, 2023, is a substantial blow to Dutee's illustrious career. The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) conducted the tests on December 5 and 26 in Bhubaneswar, both of which yielded adverse results.
Consequently, the Anti Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) declared that all of Dutee Chand's competitive accomplishments subsequent to the date of her sample collection, which was December 5, 2022, will be nullified. This includes the forfeiture of her hard-earned medals, accumulated points, and any associated accolades. The decision underscores the rigorous stance against doping in sports and its implications for an athlete's legacy.
The case's intricacies revolve around Dutee's ability to prove the unintentional nature of her anti-doping rule violation (ADRV). While Dutee managed to satisfy the panel concerning the origin of the prohibited substance found in her system, she struggled to establish a compelling case of having no significant fault or negligence in the matter. Several factors contributed to this outcome.
Firstly, instead of seeking advice from a medical professional, Dutee consulted her physiotherapist regarding her medications. This choice of action was not deemed adequate under the circumstances. Secondly, she failed to exercise due diligence by neglecting to inspect the medication labels for their contents. This lapse in caution played a role in her inability to discern the presence of prohibited substances. Lastly, Dutee's failure to cross-reference the drugs' contents with the latest World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list of banned substances further weakened her argument.
While Dutee Chand's legal counsel, Parth Goswami, has indicated their intention to appeal the ban, the path ahead remains uncertain. Goswami contends that Dutee is a "clean athlete" and that the violation arose from unintentional consumption. The legal team aims to emphasize that the prohibited substance was not taken for sporting advantage but rather resulted from a series of genuine oversights.
"All the competitive results obtained by the athlete from the date of her sample collection, which was December 5, 2022, shall stand disqualified with all resulting consequences including forfeiture of medals, points and prizes,” the Anti Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) said in its order passed on Thursday.
"The athlete though has satisfied the panel with the source of ingestion of the prohibited substance but was not able to establish the no significant fault or negligence. In view of the totality of circumstances, the athlete has failed to establish that the said anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) was unintentional due to the following reasons: 1) The athlete instead of consulting a physician allegedly consulted her physiotherapist and consumed the medicines prescribed by her. 2) The athlete did not check the label with respect to the contents of the medicine consumed by her. 3) The athlete didn’t cross-check the contents of the drugs with the latest published lists of prohibited substances by WADA," it added.
In this complex situation, Dutee's appeal will likely focus on substantiating her lack of intent in consuming the banned substance. Her legal representatives are striving to demonstrate that the violation was a product of inadvertence rather than a deliberate effort to gain an unfair competitive edge. As the appeal process unfolds, the sporting world will closely follow the outcome, which could have lasting implications for Dutee Chand's career and the broader conversation about doping in athletics.
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