Rathore okay with dope tests on cricketers

New Delhi: Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Sunday said the government had no problem with the International Cricket Council (ICC) getting the players tested by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) as it was registered with the global watchdog.

Rathore's comments came after the WADA on Saturday reportedly rejected the Board Of Control For Cricket In India's (BCCI) contention that the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) has no jurisdiction to conduct dope tests on cricketers since the board was not a National Sports Federation (NSF) and its present anti-doping system was aligned with WADA.

"For us there are three people that are very important -- the players, coaches and fans. And when doping happens the fans are cheated and fans see sportspersons as icons and inspirations," Rathore told reporters here on the sidelines of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon."Doping cheats the fans of their belief and therefore it is incumbent on every sports body to ensure that there is no cheating happening in sports.

"Cricket is no exception. I am glad that cricket is getting their dope control done through an outside agency but when the entire sports bodies of the country trust the National Anti Doping Agency, the cricketers can also do that. However, we leave it to the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA), it is their prerogative as the ICC is a member of it."

The Athens Olympics silver medallist, however, made it clear that his ministry has no problems with the cricketers being tested by WADA. "When the ICC is registered under WADA, then they have to abide by the doping standards and it's upto WADA to ensure they get the cricketers dope tested and where they do it can be sorted out. We have no issues with that specifically," he said.

The WADA is currently at loggerheads with the BCCI over the continued refusal of Indian cricketers to submit themselves to the drug testing regimen that is followed by all global athletes. The global body's intervention comes after an audit of NADA's anti-doping programme in April found that the BCCI does not recognise NADA's authority and neither does it permit any anti-doping regime in cricket.

Mum on SushilX Meanwhile, Rathore kept mum when probed about two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar's mysterious gold medal-winning comeback at the national championships in Indore last week.A visibly rusty Sushil, returning to competition after a gap of almost three years, recorded two victories against tame opponents in the preliminary rounds of his 74 kg bouts before receiving three straight walkovers from the quarterfinal stage en route to gold on Friday.

Rathore, however maintained that the wrestler has every right to make a comeback and that the events did not come under his domain.
"Everyone has the right to come back to the sport and specially Sushil has given so much to the sport. The way the events are conducted is not in my domain," Rathore said.

"There is a federation for it that takes care of it. I am sure the federation is well aware and very fair and equal to all," he said. The 34-year-old Sushil was out of action due to a shoulder injury and subsequently missed the Rio Olympics qualifiers after a trail with Narsingh Yadav went against him.