NEW DELHI: World champion and Tokyo Paralympics-bound javelin thrower Sandeep Chaudhary allegedly went missing before an out-of-competition dope test at his training base here, officials of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) have said.
The “running away” of Chaudhary, who is under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) of the government, from the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium complex has also raised serious concerns regarding the protocols being followed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When a team of dope testing officials from abroad came recently to take dope samples from Sandeep as per to the whereabouts he had given, he went missing. He might have run away from the JLN stadium complex where he is based,” a PCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
The 24-year-old Chaudhary, who had also won javelin gold in the 2018 Asian Para Games in Indonesia, could not be immediately reached for a comment.
He is one of the three Indian para athletes included in the registered testing pool of the International Paralympic Committee, the other two being Sundar Singh Gurjar and Sumit — both Tokyo Paralympic-bound javelin throwers.
Chaudhary normally competes in the F-44 category which is meant for athletes who have leg amputations or reduced function in one or both legs. They compete without a prosthesis.
“Since he is in the IPC‘s RTP, he has to furnish his whereabouts regularly (every three months) and the dope testers will come without notice in the time frame indicated by him in the whereabouts form. There is a chance that somebody had tipped him off prior to the coming of these dope testers from abroad,” the official added.
“Moreover, there are strict protocols regarding the movement of the athletes due to the COVID-19 threat and it is not known how Sandeep left his training base. There are quarantine rules when an athlete comes in or leaves a camp,” he added.
If Chaudhary logs two more ‘missed’ tests in 12 months, he could be punished and face a ban of upto two years for a first violation.
An athlete included in the RTP must provide home address, training information and locations, competition schedules, one 60-minute time period a day, where he/she will be available for testing.
A missed test may be recorded if an athlete is unavailable during the declared 60-minute window.
But the WADA website says an athlete will be given an opportunity to explain why he was not available at the location in the given time frame.
PCI secretary general Gursharan Singh said he is collecting information from the Sports Authority of India on how the incident happened.
“We have taken note of the incident but we don’t know how it happened. He was training at a SAI facility and how he got away from that is not under our control. So, we have to ask the SAI people,” he said.
“But otherwise, Sandeep has been clean in all his earlier dope tests as recently as the Fazza International World Para Athletics Grand Prix event in Dubai last month.”
Choudhary had booked a Tokyo Paralympics berth by winning the gold in the 2019 World Para Athletic Championship with a world record throw of 66.18m.
Last month, he clinched gold with a throw of 61.22 metres at the 12th Fazza International Championships – Dubai 2021 World Para Athletics Grand Prix.
