New Delhi, Dec 23 (FN Agency) World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has restored the accreditation of the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), the Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur confirmed on Thursday. The NDTL was suspended by WADA in 2019 because of its failure to meet global standards. Subsequently, the laboratory was prohibited from carrying out anti-doping activities. “National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) regains the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accreditation,” Thakur tweeted. “Restoration of accreditation is a boost to India’s efforts to achieve the highest global standards of excellence in sport. This is the result of untiring efforts by GOI,” he said. The National Anti-Doping Bill 2021 was introduced in Lok Sabha on December 17.
The bill seeks to prohibit doping in sports and establish a National Anti-Doping Agency, which will replace the existing National Anti-Doping Agency. According to the PRS Legislative Research, the bill prohibits athletes, athlete support personnel and other persons from engaging in doping in sport. “Last week in Parliament, we introduced ‘The National Anti-Doping Bill 2021’, which is another step in India’s quest to become a sporting powerhouse,” Thakur added. Currently, the anti-doping rules are implemented by the National Anti-Doping Agency, which was established as a society. The bill provides for constituting this National Anti-Doping Agency as a body corporate. It will be headed by a Director General appointed by the central government. The functions of the agency include planning, implementing, and monitoring anti-doping activities, investigating anti-doping rule violations, and promoting anti-doping research.