The National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) would be soon travelling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a doping test for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020.
The NADA officials along with six empanelled Dope Control Officers (DCOs) would go to the UAE for sample collection.
According to sources in the NADA, the agency is targeting collection of at least 50 samples during In-Competition (IC) and Out of Competition (OOC) testing during the 60 match event.
A senior official of the Board to Control Cricket in India (BCCI) said, “NADA will have nine people in UAE and they will also take help of the UAE’s National Anti Doping Organization if they require further manpower, in this case chaperones who help in sample collection.”
There would be three teams of NADA comprising one NADA official and two DCOs at each of the three venues. The team would also have a local (UAE) NADA staff in each of the units.
In India, it’s the NADA which bears the cost of collection, transportation and testing.
Speaking about the stay of NADA officials travelling to the UAE, a senior BCCI official said, “The NADA officers will be asked to stay in the BCCI created bio bubble.” The cost of transportation for the doping test is usually borne by NADA, but this is time it is not clear if either NADA would bear the expenses or BCCI.
The NADA has asked BCCI to prepare five separate Dope Control Stations (DCS) in the UAE, three at the match venues in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai along with two at the practice facilities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
This year due to the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19, the IPL is being held in Abu Dhabi, the UAE.
The IPL 2020 would begin from the 13th of September and would continue till the 19th of November.
Stay tuned for further updates.
