Prathamesh Jawkar Faces Asian Games Exclusion Due to Doping Oversight
Prathamesh Jawkar's Doping Violation Could Cost Him Asian Games Spot
Indian archer Prathamesh Jawkar's recent mistake may have jeopardized his participation in the Asian Games. He was part of the team that secured a gold medal in the compound category at the 2023 Asian Games alongside Ojas Pravin Deotale and Abhishek Verma. However, he has received a notice of charge for failing to report his whereabouts on three occasions.
The International Testing Agency (ITA) has requested a response from him by Monday regarding these charges, which stem from his failure to provide whereabouts information three times over the past year. This notice is issued under article 2.4 of the anti-doping regulations, which mandates athletes to report their whereabouts for out-of-competition testing.
The notice outlines that he violated the requirements for athlete availability for testing, including not providing necessary whereabouts information and missing tests that are determined based on reasonable regulations.
Specifically, it is claimed that Prathamesh did not update his whereabouts in the Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS) three times in the last year. Athletes in the registered testing pool (RTP) must regularly update their whereabouts, providing specific dates and times for the next three months. Any changes in their location must also be reflected in ADAMS.
Prathamesh now faces two choices: he can either challenge the charges or accept the consequences. The maximum penalty for a violation under article 2.4 can be up to two years. Acknowledging his mistake, Prathamesh stated, "It is unfortunate, but it is a fault from my side nonetheless," in an interview with a media outlet. He was scheduled to compete in the ongoing National Ranking Archery Tournament in New Delhi but has been advised to withdraw due to the notice. "I was so focused on my training that I overlooked this. I hope my situation serves as a lesson for other archers in the running for the Asian Games and other significant events," he added.