AFI proposes two-year ban for violating athletes in “No Needle Policy”

01/17/2019

The Athletics Federation of India has released a new draft – “No Needle Policy” that has proposed a maximum ban of two years for athletes caught taking needles and injection vials. Once implemented, this will be the first such decision by a national federation regarding doping in athletics.

The Indian athletes and the board has always been under scanner during big events regarding using or possessing needles. In 2018, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) had suspended the two athletes, triple jumper A.V. Rakesh Babu and race walker Irfan Kolothum Thodi for infringement of no-needle policy at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. Now, the AFI has come up with a detailed ‘No Needle Policy’ according to a report by PTI.

"We have drawn up a detailed 'No Needle Policy' which has been circulated to the athletes, coaches, other support staff and even to the public for comments and feedbacks. We will study all these comments/feedbacks and will draw up a final 'No Needle Policy'," AFI President Adille Sumariwalla told PTI.

"The final 'No Needle Policy' (expected in the next couple of months) when drawn up will be signed by all the athletes, coaches, support staff in the national camps and outside the camps also."

As per the policy, an athlete in the national camp/in competition or at other non-competition venues violating the policy will be suspended from both domestic and international competitions for a period of three months. A second violation will lead to a suspension of one year but subsequent breaches of the rules will draw a two-year-ban.

"The AFI has the power and authority under its constitution to implement the 'No Needle Policy' and award punishments. It is outside what government agencies (read NADA) may do. An aggrieved athlete may go to the Court of Arbitration for Sports or to a court of law," the AFI president said.

"There is no justification for any athlete (except those with an established clinical condition requiring auto-injection and a valid Therapeutic Use Exemptions), a coach or any other non-medically qualified person to administer an injection," one of the provisions of the Draft Policy state.