Formula-4 driver Mrinalini Singh was tested positive for a banned substance from random samples taken during the National Racing Championship at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore (also known as Kovi) in Tamil Nadu last week. The National AntiDoping Agency (NADA) informed her that it found a beta-blocked (a group of drugs) substance used to treat people with heart problems (high blood pressure) in her samples. This drug slows down heart rate and reduces hand tremor. Later, Mrinalini Singh responded to NADA with her doctor’s report but ultimately, she became the first woman accused in a doping case or an example of inadvertent doping from Indian motor sports.
Doping is the deliberate or accidental use of banned drugs or substances or methods by athletes that may increase their performance. The other side of this coin is inadvertent doping in which an athlete uses a medication containing banned substances to treat ailments. Due to this, during drug tests, results come positive. In this situation, the athlete is not taking drugs purposefully to improve performance but positive test results may still lead to penalisation.
The IOC, under Thomas Bach, has always approved a blanket ban. Bach has maintained that the IOC favoured “individual justice over collective punishment”. In December, 2019, WADA announced a decision to ban Russia from world sporting competitions for a period of four years after it found a “deeply rooted culture of cheating” among Russian athletes. Dr Jawahar Lal Jain, former medical administrator, sports medicine expert and WHO fellow in sports Medicine (USA), emphasised on continuous doping testing for young athletes.
The Olympic movement, International Olympic Committee (IOC), World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) are majorly concerned about the problems created by doping because they violate fundamental health of the Olympic philosophy. The aim of an anti-doping fight is to secure athlete’s health, defend the principles of medical and sports ethics and ensure equal chances for all. Meanwhile, NADA has launched a mobile application to provide athletes or general players easy access to information on banned drugs.
Former Dope Director of Sports Authority of India Dr Shila Jain said, “Beta blockers will only be tested in sports where they are likely to enhance performances, for example: shooting, archery, motor racing, bob slight, diving, luge, modern pentathlon, ski jumping, etc. She advised players that if in doubt, they could check it out by seeing on NADA mobile application.
According to the Drug Education Handbook, Khel Dawaon Ka, by Dr J.L. Jain and Shila Jain, drugs like Erythropoietin (EPO) could lead to allergic reactions and anaphylactic shock, a severe form of generalised allergic reaction that could result in fatalities. EPO has been banned since the early 1990s, a test for EPO introduced at the 2000 summer Olympic Games in Sydney.
The writer is a former Associate Professor of Delhi University