NADA conducts raids at PT Usha School of Athletics

Continuing its drive to catch drug cheats following the athletics doping scandal, the National Anti Doping Agency officials on Friday, conducted a surprise raid at the PT Usha School of Athletics here.

A team of officers from Delhi, headed by Senior Project Manager V Jayaraman, checked the rooms of the athletes and also took urine samples. "NADA deputed a team of officers today the 29th July, 2011 from Delhi headed by Mr. V Jayaraman, Sr Project Manager, NADA and included two technical officers of NADA and two lady Doping Control Officers to conduct surprise checks at the PT Usha School of Athletics, Kozhikode, Kerala," NADA Director General Rahul Bhatnagar said in a statement.

"The team reached the Institute at 12:00 PM and checked rooms of athletes for banned substances and also took urine sample on a random basis. Total of six urine samples were collected which will be brought to Delhi for testing. No food supplements were found in the rooms," he added.

A detailed session of awareness on Doping was conducted by the experts from NADA later with the athletes and coaches at the PT Usha Centre.

A programme for education and awareness is also being drawn up for sportspersons in Kerala in view of the forthcoming National Games, which includes printing and distribution of educational material in Malayalam.

"NADA will continue its drive against doping in sports in the country and surprise checks will be carried out at other centers where athletes are training," Bhatnagar said.

NADA teams conducted similar surprise raids at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala on July 9 and at the Bangalore SAI Centre two days later.

The country was hit by one of its worst doping scandals with eight track and field athletes, including Asian Games double gold medallist Ashwini Akkunji, returning positive for banned anabolic substances.