NADA Imposes First-Ever Sanction on Athlete Support Personnel

For the first time in its history, the National Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) has imposed a four-year ban on an athlete support personnel, coach Mickey Menezes, for an Anti-Doping Rule Violation. The coach had injected a prohibited substance, Drostanolone, into his trainee, Kirti Bhoite, who is now serving a two-year ban.

Kirti was initially banned for four years; however, on appeal, the ineligibility was reduced to two years under Article 10.3.1 of the NADA Anti-Doping Rules. It was determined that the violation was not intentional since her coach had given her and another athlete the said injection besides supplements. During the hearing, she further pointed out that the Maharashtra Athletics Association had investigated the coach and decided to ban him for four years.

NADA laid an Anti-Doping Rule Violation charge against the coach, and the ADAP held the coach guilty of administering the banned substance. His complicity in doping the young athlete to gain an undue advantage from her performances led to a four-year ineligibility under Article 10.3.3 and a fine of Rs. 50,000 under Article 10.12.