BCCI finally comes under NADA, officially becomes National Sports Federation

Ending years of defiance, BCCI on Friday agreed to come under ambit of National Anti-Doping ncy, a landmark decision that makes Indian cricket's governing body a sports federation as per government rms despite being financially automous.

Sports Secretary Rheshyam Jhulaniya, who along with NA DG Navin Agarwal met BCCI CEO Rahul Johri along with Board's GM (Cricket Operations) Saba Karim on Friday, said that Board has given in writing that it would here to anti-doping policy of NA.

"All cricketers will w be tested by NA," Jhulaniya said.

BCCI designated as a National Sports Federation

implication of this development is expected to be massive as BCCI w becomes a designated National Sports Federation (NSF) and will face more pressure to come under government's Right To Information (RTI) Act.

" BCCI raised three issues before us about quality of dope testing kits, competence of pathologists and sample collection. We assured m that whatever facilities y want, we will provide but re will be some charge for it. But that higher facility will be equal for all NSFs. BCCI is different from ors. y have to follow law of land," Jhulaniya said.

" BCCI will agree to law of land," said Johri, ding, "We have raised quite a few issues which sports Secretary said will be dressed by m. We have agreed to bear differential cost of high quality testing."

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BCCI's defiant stand against NA 

BCCI h been vehemently opposed to signing up with NA, calling itself an automous body, and t a National Sports Federation which relies on government funding.

Board's primary concern was contentious 'Whereabouts Clause' with regards to Out of Competition Testing, something that all-star India players have been wary of as y considered it an invasion of ir privacy.

'Whereabouts Clause' requires every athlete to fill up a declaration form wherein he/she would have to mention three specific dates in a year when y are t competing but are available for NA's Dope Control Officer (DCO) for sample collection.

If any athlete fails to appear on all specified dates, it invites sanctions for breach of World Anti-doping ncy (WA) Code. premier example of this is West Indies' all-rounder Andre Russell who was banned for one year by Jamaican Anti-Doping ncy.

Till date, Sweden-based International Dope Testing Manment (IDTM) has been collecting samples and submitting m to National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL).

"IDTM IS longer authorized ncy," Jhulaniya asserted.

Earlier, sports ministry has stefastly maintained that BCCI h to come under NA ambit. It recently held back clearances for tours by South Africa A and women's teams and it was speculated that this was done to pressurize BCCI into accepting anti-doping rms.

Green light for NA

move seems to have worked as Johri confirmed that cricket board has w got clearance for A as well as women's series after having waited for close to six months. BCCI's fresh stance makes it clear that Johri got go ahe from Supreme Court-appointed Committee of ministrators (CoA), heed by Vid Rai, to sign agreement.

Earlier in March, BCCI h agreed to get into a conditional tri-partite agreement with NA and ICC.

Jhulaniya h, however, me it clear that Board cant sign any agreement with a government body without ministry's consent. NA hn't signed that previous agreement in which BCCI stated that ir "chaperons" will collect samples inste of NA's designated DCOs. Board said it didn't trust NA DCOs "due to stories of goof-ups that consistently appear".

With BCCI officially coming under NA ambit, possibility of agreeing to RTI is becoming more and more real even though Johri sidestepped query.

"It was t in today's meeting nda," Johri said.

BCCI officials fear losing automy

developments left senior BCCI officials fuming with some members saying that "decision to buckle under government pressure" may le to Board losing its automy despite being financially independent.

" CEO (Rahul Johri) or COA has authority to take any such policy decision which is prerogative of governing body of BCCI. y may write any sort of letter as y are running ministration and may implement an irregular decision.

"But that does t make it a regular decision with authority," a senior BCCI official told PTI on condition of anymity.

A former working committee member said manner in which young batsman Prithvi Shaw's dope case was handled ded to BCCI's woes. Shaw was retrospectively banned for eight months after testing positive for terbutaline back in April. He played IPL and trained in National Cricket Acemy even after report of his failed dope test h come to Board.

"To keep NA at bay, your own system needed to be robust. Inste what did we see? We saw that Shaw was allowed to play IPL even after a failed dope test. And once everything was on paper, he was using NCA facilities," official said. 

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