NADA has reached an understanding with NADO of UAE:
The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), has joined with National Anti-Doping Committee (NADO) of UAE and finally decided that they will mutually collect the sample of cricket players during 2020 IPL, which is scheduled to be held from 19th September to 10th November in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah.
While collecting the urine samples of cricketers, the Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) of NADO will be followed by the dope control officers (DCOs) all the time of two countries. A per the report, NADA has already discussed the collecting samples with UAE officials. And it is decided that the players will need to go through both in as well as out-of-competition COVID-19 testing, with most prioritization on ‘no-contact’ testing as per the restrictions enforced by the local authorities for the health security of cricketers and also the DCOs.
What do you mean by ‘no-contact’ testing?
‘No-contact’ testing, it means that the DCO will put the urine sample container lit at a pre-decided place. The chosen player will put back the sample container with his urine sample at the same place within a specified period. During this procedure, the player will make sure to DCO that he is unaccompanied.
As per the report, NADA would be looking to send a couple of its DCOs, who will be in quarantines and then put in a self-isolation period of 7 days in agreement with the SOPs by the NADO of UAE along with the local health authorities.
According to the pre-decided arrangement, the DCOs of NADA could either say at the own bio-secure bubble of BCCI upon the arrival in UAE. Otherwise, the NADO of UAE will make some arrangements for the DCOs and they can stay at one of their residential facilities.
It can possible that the DCOs, who is based locally in Dubai, Sharjah or Abu Dhabi would carry out most of the sample collection to lessen the cost factor, while the DCOs of NADA might carry out the testing process at one of the venues, which will be base of the officers as well.
