Banned Dipa in GFI's list of probable, violates WADA rule

Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar, currently serving a 21-month doping ban, has been named by the Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI) in their list of core probables for the national camp, set to begin on May 23. The list, of which HT has a copy, lists 10 senior women artistic gymnasts along with 12 men. Six juniors each in men and women sections have also been named.

The probables were picked after selection trials in Bhubaneshwar on May 5 (juniors) and May 6 (seniors). Dipa and 19-year-old Protistha Samanta — both from Tripura and coached by Dronacharya Awardee coach Bishweshwar Nandi — were not present at the trials. While Dipa could not appear owing to her ban, Samanta was reportedly injured and the federation later made an exception for her.

"Samanta gave us an application explaining her unavailability due to injury but we included her in the list because she is a good gymnast and can win us medals. Dipa can compete only after her ban ends but we included her in the camp so that she can later appear in Asian Games selection trials. These are our best gymnasts and teams for international events till Asian Games will be picked from this lot," chairman of GFI's selection committee Ashok Sahu said.

Teams for international competitions starting with next month's Asian Championships in Singapore and ending with Asian Games in Hangzhou will be picked from this lot. Dipa's retrospective ban — she was tested by International Testing Agency on October 11, 2021— ends on July 10. She tested positive for Higenamine, a drug on World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) Prohibited List since 2017.

Only national campers are eligible to participate in trials. The last date to send entries for Asian Games is July 15 and the GFI, it has been learned, is keen on conducting the Asiad selection trials between July 10-15 to give Dipa a chance to participate.

Dipa also doesn't have a license from the gymnastics' governing body FIG which is a mandatory requirement for participation in international events. Currently, only 13 senior Indian women gymnasts have the FIG license.

"Dipa obviously can't compete before her ban ends. This is just a list for the national camp. The team for the Asian Games will be picked through trials that will be held after her ban period ends," GFI president Sudhir Mittal said.

The World Anti-Doping Agency states that "No Athlete or other Person who has been declared Ineligible or is subject to a Provisional Suspension may, during a period of Ineligibility or Provisional Suspension, participate in any capacity in a Competition or activity (other than authorized anti-doping Education or rehabilitation programs) authorized or organized by any Signatory, Signatory’s member organization, or a club or other member organization of a Signatory’s

member organization, or in Competitions authorized or organized by any professional league or any international- or national-level Event organization or any elite or national-level sporting activity funded by a governmental agency."

"Once an athlete is suspended by FIG, he/she cannot be part of the camp before the expiry of the ban period. The probables for national camps are selected either by open trials or limited trials. Sometimes, exceptions are made for good international players but the exception doesn't apply in cases of dope bans," an official who didn't wish to be named, said.

The list, mailed from the GFI president to state associations on May 14, was not shared with all athletes either. Most gymnasts were informed about their selection through their employers who shared a list of 32 names — minus Dipa and Samanta — with them a couple of days after the trials. A gymnast who is part of core probables was shocked to find Dipa's name when HT showed him the latest line-up.

"It's inexplicable. The addition of a suspended athlete to the national camp makes little sense. The list shared with us after the trials didn't have Dipa and Samanta's names; their names appear to have been added after some deliberation. It looks like some lobby is at work," the gymnast said. The GFI is contemplating holding the camp either at the high-performance centre in Bhubaneswar or at the IG Stadium in the capital.