Former Indian national kabaddi team captain and Pro Kabaddi star Ajay Thakur has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for failing to disclose his whereabouts as per protocols.
Ajay Thakur is the first Indian athlete to fall foul of the provision set by the anti-doping watchdog which requires the sportsperson to provide accurate and current whereabouts information. Ajay, a Padma Shri and an Arjuna awardee, has been a repeat offender.
A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) with the Himachal Pradesh police, Ajay Thakur is a gold medallist from the 2014 Asian Games and a Kabaddi World Cup winner in 2016. He then led the Indian national kabaddi team to the title at the 2017 Asian Kabaddi Championship.
He is also a bronze medal winner at the 2018 Asian Games. Ajay Thakur has also been playing in the Pro Kabaddi league (PKL) where he has been captain of Tamil Thalaivas in recent years.
Served a violation notice last month under the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) regulations, the 34-year-old Ajay Thakur is now facing a two-year suspension.
NADA had provided the offending athletes with an “opportunity to explain why they failed to file their whereabouts” but were unable to get a response, reported the Times of India.
Ajay Thakur is in the registered testing pool (RTP) and failing to provide information three consecutive times within a period of 12 months constitutes a violation. Doping tests are done without prior notice.
“Whereabouts information may include details such as home address, work schedule, training venues and schedule, and competition schedule anything which will help a Doping Control Officer (DCO) find the athlete on any given day,” according to the NADA website.
Ajay Thakur was named as a part of the six-member selection committee to keep an eye on India probables during the Junior National Kabaddi Championships that concluded late last month.
Photo: Pro Kabaddi
