Bronze medalist in the global boxing championship, Parveen Hooda may fail to qualify for the Paris Olympics after receiving a ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency (world anti-doping agency) for failing 3 whereabouts within one year.
Last year, Parveen received an Olympic quota in the women’s 57kg category at the Asian Games but she did not submit her whereabouts between April 2022 and March 2023, thus breaking WADA rules.
“WADA has suspended her for eighteen months. This month began Parveen’s suspension that will end next year November,” said Sudhir Hooda, Parveen’s coach to PTI.
Registered Testing Pool (RTP) athletes must provide their complete overnight address as well as each facility they use for training or normal activities including times of day spent there.
Additionally, RTP athletes must identify a specific one-hour period and location for daily testing during each quarter. Violations of this travel requirement will result in non-compliance travel.
According to WADA regulations, “Any combination of three whereabouts failures (missed tests and/or filing failures) within a twelve-month period is an anti-doping rule violation with sanctions ranging from a minimum two-year ineligibility to a possible reduction down to one year depending on culpability.”
Vidushpat Singhania, who is managing Parveen’s case as a lawyer, indicated that they are engaging with ITA International Testing Agency and working towards lifting or reducing penalties.
Singhania added: “We have been talking with various people including WADA ombudsman ITA too. We are trying our best not imposing sanctions or having them mitigated.”
“We want them to withdraw notice; if it happens there would be no sanctions. And because Olympic quota issue we hope it will be concluded immediately”, he continued.
However, Pavin still cannot participate in Olympic games of July-August this year even if the sanctions are reduced to one year.
In October last year, Pavin received a number of notices from ITA, which is responsible for Olympic anti-doping program regarding non-compliance many times in a year.
Boxing Federation of India (BFI) is hopeful that things will turn out well.
Only four Indian boxers – Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Preeti (54kg), Parveen (57kg) and Lovely Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) are having quotas.
Quotas in boxing go to individual athletes and not nations.
Qualifying event for Olympics would be starting on May 24 at Bangkok.
