NADA serves whereabouts failure notice to retired wrestler Vinesh Phogat, seeks explanation within 14 days

The retired Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was sent a whereabouts failure notice by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) on Wednesday. Vinesh has been asked to explain her whereabouts after missing the anti-doping test on September 9 at her house in Kharkhoda village in Sonepat.

The ADR (Anti-Doping Rules) require the athlete to fill his or her whereabouts quarterly for each day and also need to be available for testing on a scheduled date. According to the NADA notice, the former wrestler was scheduled for a test on September 9 at her home but she was not available to a DCO (Dope Control Officer) sent by the NADA.

"You are hereby given a formal notice to notify you about apparent failure to comply with the whereabouts requirements of the ADR, and to invite you to make any comments before we come to a final decision on the matter," the NADA notice read. "A Dope Control Officer (DCO) was sent to test you on that day at



that time and place. However, he was unable to locate you for testing as you were not available at the given location.

"Please respond to this letter within 14 days specifying if you accept that You have committed a whereabouts failure or alternatively if you believe you have not committed a Whereabouts Failure In the latter case, Please explain, in as much detail as possible the reasons for your belief. For example, if you claim you were present at the location specified for the specified 60-minute time slot for the day provide any corroborating evidence and comment on why the DCO was unable to find you for testing."

However, according to the NADA rules an athlete needs to fail three whereabouts in 12 months to face a potential anti-doping rule violation and Vinesh has only one whereabouts failure to her name so far. She is required to explain her reasons within 14 days of notice to avoid a potential hearing by NADA's panel.