NADA lifts Sahil's provisional suspension; says dope failure might have been due to contaminated product

New Delhi, Oct 3 (PTI) In a temporary yet big relief for Indian volleyball player Sahil Kumar, NADA Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) has lifted his provisional suspension for failing a dope test, saying the "violation in question likely stemmed from the consumption of a contaminated product".

Pursuant to the interim order of the ADDP of the National Anti-Doping Agency passed on October 1, Kumar could compete for Hyderabad Black Hawks in their Prime Volleyball League Season 4 match against Calicut Heroes on Thursday.

Kumar's sample taken out of competition on May 14 this year in Bengaluru contained metabolites of GW1516 (also known as Cardarine), metabolic modulators, Oxandrolone (a synthetic anabolic steroid) and its metabolites, among others that come under Wold Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) prohibited list as non-specified substances.

Kumar was handed provisional suspension on June 12. He had requested for a provisional hearing in the matter.

During the hearing, Kumar, who was present in person along with his counsel advocate Parth Goswami, pressed for an urgent relief to enable him to participate in the Prime volleyball League.

Kumar got his food supplements tested at the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), which is a WADA accredited laboratory.

"Based on the evidence provided and after hearing both parties, the Panel is persuaded that the Athlete has successfully demonstrated that the violation in question likely stemmed from the consumption of a contaminated product, which is evident from the WADA accredited lab which identified traces of prohibited substances in both sealed and unsealed containers from the same batch and lot number of the supplements," the ADDP said in its interim order.

"Furthermore, the packaging of the supplement does not disclose any information regarding the presence of prohibited substances. Consequently, the Panel has determined it appropriate to lift the provisional suspension till the next hearing date of hearing and allow the Athlete to participate in the upcoming competition, subject to the condition that the medal and laurels earned by the Athlete till this time would be subject to the outcome of the case," said the order dated October 1.

The matter will be heard again after one month, that is on November 1.

"We got his food supplements tested at the NDTL, which confirmed the banned substances in his sample came from the supplement, despite the label not mentioning them, Goswami told PTI.

"We sought an urgent hearing before the NADA panel, which lifted his provisional suspension, allowing him to play for Hyderabad Black Hawks in the Prime Volleyball League." PTI PDS PDS AT AT