Sports Ministry to take all measures to rid sports of doping

New Delhi, Feb 20 (ANI): Sports Minister Dr. M.S. Gill today said his Ministry will take all measures to rid sports of the menace of doping and create a clean and healthy environment for sports in India.

Inaugurating the new building of the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) here, the Minister said the NDTL has not only to be strengthened technically but also ensured that its functioning is totally autonomous and independent and no extraneous considerations come in the way of its fair and free functioning.

"In accordance with Anti Doping Rules, the Ministry has already constituted disciplinary, appeal and therapeutic use exemption panels with eminent judicial personalities, medical practitioners and retired sports persons of repute," he added

The new premises of the NDTL is the first building handed over by the CPWD to the Sports Ministry for the Commonwealth Games, 2010.

NDTL will shift in this building fitted with all modern amenities and latest state -of- art equipment soon so as to take up latest tests prescribed by the World Anti Doping Agency ( WADA).

With an objective to make the NDTL a world class laboratory , an Action Plan for up gradation and modernisation of the NDTL at an estimated expenditure of Rs 14 crore , has also been approved by its Governing Body in December last year. As per the Plan, the technical strength of the Laboratory is also being enhanced to raise its testing capacity from the current level of 2000 samples per annum to 5000 samples in 2010.

The technical skills of the existing staff of the NDTL are also being upgraded through training and exposure at other advanced laboratories in the world.

The NDTL is equipped with all the essential equipments to meet the testing load of 2000 samples in a year. It is proposed to increase the testing ability of the lab to 3000 samples in the year 2009 and 5000 samples in 2010. (ANI)