NADA Test: Jadeja most tested Indian cricketer so far in 2023, 58 samples collected in first 5 month
New Delhi, Aug 9: Star India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja gave dope samples thrice between January and May this year, making him the most tested cricketer during this period, according to data released by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
Altogether 55 cricketers (male and female, 58 samples) underwent dope testing in the first five months of this year, with more than half of the samples taken 'Out Of Competition' (OOC), according to a recent list put up by the NADA on its website.
This meant that the number of samples collected from cricketers this year is expected to be much more than the previous two years. According to the data, the NADA had collected 54 and 60 samples respectively from the cricketers in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
India captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli were not tested during the first five months of 2023.
Hardik Pandya, who has been leading the India T20 International side for some time, underwent one test -- 'Out Of Competition' (OOC) urine sample in April.
In 2021 and 2022, Rohit was the most tested cricketer with three samples each, according to NADA data of the two years.
Kohli was not tested in 2021 and 2022 also. Around 20 samples in 2022 were from women cricketers.
But, in the first five months of this year, only two women cricketers -- India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her deputy Smriti Mandhana -- were tested once each -- out-of-competition urine samples collected in Mumbai on January 12.
Around 20 samples were taken in competition, most of them likely during the Indian Premier League.
There were seven blood samples out of the 58, all the remaining being urine.
All of Jadeja's three samples were of urine, and taken out of competition on February 19, March 26 and April 26.
Thangarasu Natarajan underwent two tests, one urine and one blood -- both on April 27.
Blood testing allows detection of additional substances that in some cases may not be able to be found in urine.
Additionally, blood samples allow the use of longitudinal data collection, often called the athlete biological passport.
Longitudinal data collection monitors certain bio markers over time to detect the use of performance-enhancing substances and/or methods.
Other prominent Indian cricketers who underwent dope tests from January to May this year include Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Chahar, Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Wriddhiman Saha, Dinesh Karthik, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ambati Rayudu, Piyush Chawla and Manish Pandey.
Some of the star players from abroad who underwent dope tests were David Wiese, David Miller, Cameron Green, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, David Warner, Rashid Khan, David Willey, Trent Boult, Marcus Stoinis, Mark Wood, Adam Zampa, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone and Jofra Archer.
All the tests on foreign players were conducted in April (during IPL season), most of them urine samples but a few provided blood samples also.
Prominent players from other sports who underwent dope tests during these five months include Olympic medallist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, boxer Lovlina Borgohain, shuttlers Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth, wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, hockey players Harmanpreet Singh, PR Sreejesh and Savita Punia, among others.
The overall NADA list runs into more than 60 pages and the number of samples could be more than 1500.
Bajrang and Vinesh, who led a sit-in protest earlier this year, alleging sexual harassment of some female grapplers by outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, gave two urine samples -- on February 20 and March 19 -- and one blood sample on March 19, all of them out of competitions and in Sonipat.
Lovlina gave urine and blood samples on two occasions -- March 19 and May 7, all out of competition.
Track and athletes were tested the most with around 500 samples, followed by weightlifting (around 200), boxing (more than 100), shooting and wrestling (more than 70 each), and football and hockey (more than 50 each).
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
BJP holds protests over party cadre's death; Siddaramaiah accuses them of doing politics
Bengaluru/Kodagu (PTI): BJP on Saturday staged a protest in Kodagu district's Kushalnagar, demanding the naming of two Congress MLAs in the FIR, in connection with the alleged suicide of a saffron party worker, even as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused them of doing politics over death.
Protests were also held in a few other places by the BJP. The party has also demanded a CBI probe into the case.
Several BJP leaders, including its state president B Y Vijayendra, MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, former MP Pratap Simha, former Speaker K G Bopaiah, among others, were detained and taken away by police in a bus, as they reportedly tried to lay siege to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) office at Kushalnagar.
There were scenes of chaos as leaders were being detained, as the large number of BJP workers gathered there, shouted slogans against the police and the government.
Vinay Somaiah (40), a BJP functionary from Kodagu allegedly died by suicide in Bengaluru on Friday, after accusing Congress leaders of harassment. A purporported death note was allegedly posted by him on a WhatsApp group.
Based on a complaint lodged by the victim's elder brother Jeevan K S on the basis of the purported death note, a case was registered against Congress worker Thennira Maheena and others.
The FIR, however, did not mention the names of Virajpet MLA A S Ponnanna and Madikeri MLA Mantar Gowda and one Harish Poovaiah, despite their names being mentioned in the handwritten complaint submitted to police.
Somaiah's body, meanwhile, will be taken to Somwarpet's Gonimaruru village for the last rites, police sources said.
Accusing the BJP of doing politics over death, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah not wanting to comment as FIR has been registered in the case and an investigation is underway said, whoever is found guilty from the investigation, action will be taken against them.
On the BJP demanding for mentioning of Ponnanna and Mantar Gowda's names in the FIR, the CM said, "We can't respond to BJP's demands. The BJP people are frustrated and they are saying such things. They are doing politics over death. The BJP often does this."
"I can only say that an FIR has already been registered and an investigation is going on. At this stage I don't want to interfere in the case. I don't want to make any statement," he added.
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said law is equal for everyone and the police will take necessary action in accordance with law.
"The incident had happened in February and he has committed suicide now. The police department is investigating. Somaiah has posted a detailed note on WhatsApp, and police will analyse everything and take action," he said.
Asked whether the case will be handed over to CID, the home minister said, "if necessary it may be done, but at present we don't see the need."
In the purported death note, Somaiah has stated that nearly two months ago, he was arrested by the Madikeri police on Maheena's complaint in connection with certain comments that were posted against Ponnanna, who is also Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's legal advisor, in a WhatsApp group.
Somaiah was said to be the admin of the WhatsApp group. He was subsequently released on bail.
In the death note, the BJP worker alleged that the FIR filed against him was "politically motivated" and that he and his family had to face "humiliation" which upset him.
Seeking justice, he urged that action should be taken against those named in the death note.
Earlier speaking to reporters, Vijayendra said the police not mentioning the names of two ruling party MLAs shows the kind of pressure that is being put on them. He alleged that police stations are functioning like Congress offices.
"It is under MLAs pressure and oppression that our karyakarta has committed suicide. Police leaving their names from FIR cannot be accepted. Admins of WhatsApp groups are being booked under multiple cases and they are targeted if failure of ruling party legislators are highlighted," he said.
Vijayendra further said it is the duty of the police, and they should get permission from the magistrate court and add the names of two MLAs in the FIR.
Urging the chief minister and the home minister to not take the case lightly, he said, "I have told the SP, if anything untoward happens in case they don't name MLAs in the FIR, BJP won't be responsible. There is no question of sitting quiet against the atrocities on BJP workers."
"Let it take any amount of time. Until the officials get permission from the Magistrate court and mention MLAs' names in the FIR, we will wait. If they don't do it, the police will be responsible for the things that may happen. The police should not allow the law and order situation to deteriorate under political pressure," he said.
