"I have suffered extremely because of the ignorance about doping. Now, I´m careful in every step," said Bhandari, who had failed a doping test during the 10th South Asian Games in Colombo. He had served a two-year ban and was stripped of two gold medals that he had won during the Games. [break]
"NSC has been providing medical service and it has ordered players not to take any medicine without the consent of SMRC. Let´s hope other players don´t face doping problem in coming days," said the 11th SAG gold medalist.
Narayan Yadav, training director at NSC, informed that NSC has issued notice to all players, selected for the Asiad, not to take medicines haphazardly. "From the very beginning of the closed camp for the Asiad, we have been asking players to take prior consent of SMRC doctors if they have to take any medicine," said Yadav.
He informed that NSC would conduct a random doping test of its own ahead of the Guangzhou Asiad.
Dr Ajay Rana, director of SMRC, said that many drugs in the market might contain doping substances. "In this scenario, we have managed a pharmacy at the Center and have been providing free service to the players," said Rana. According to Rana, altogether 88 players have visited SMRC for medical assistance.
Dr Rana has observed the medication of karate player Ganga Adhikari recently although she underwent treatment at the Blue Cross Hospital. "We have been requesting doctors in private hospitals to be aware of medicines with doping substances while treating players," said Rana.
According to Rana, NSC would conduct the random doping test before the players leave for Guangzhou just as they had done before the 11th SAG in Dhaka.
"A test costs at least 130 dollars if we ask for the report in 10 days, but the cost increases if we seek the report before that. We have planned for the random test after considering the high cost," he said.
Rana has been witnessing the growing anti-doping consciousness within the sports fraternity after the doping saga of Rajendra Bhandari, but he still wishes for nationwide consciousness.
According to Dr Rana, there is high risk of doping susbstances in many medicines of common cold. "Medicines that we prescribe are safe," claimed Rana.
Karate coach Deepak Shrestha and taekwondo player Ayasha Shakya take the NSC´s initiatives positively. "We taekwondo players are not taking any medicine without the referrals of SMRC doctors after the 10th SAG," claimed Shakya.
Even though the sports fraternity is getting serious about doping, Nepal is yet to establish the National Anti-doping Agency (NADA). Nepal is a member nation of World Anti-doping Agency (WADA).
Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC) Medical Commission Chief Dr Saroj Krishna Shrestha claimed that lack of resources has marred the process of establishing NADA. According to Dr Shrestha, NOC has to fulfill the role of NADA in its absence as per the provision of WADA.
"We have been trying to expand the anti-doping movement but NSC and SMRC are reluctant to take our help. We have a group of seven doctors with anti-doping knowledge and we are ready to provide volunteer service. However, NSC and SMRC are not even replying our letter," said Shrestha.
Related story
Indian actor and comedian Raju Shrivastav gains consciousness a...
_20240311121839.jpg)
-1200x560-1779450784.webp)
