Sri Lanka demands answers on integrity of anti-doping reports from banned labs
Dinal Philips
As Sri Lankan athletes facing doping bans await justice with questions over the credibility of the test results following the suspension of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited New Delhi-based testing laboratory, renowned lawyer PC Dinal Philips says the adverse findings must be declared null and void.
“If there’s credibility in doubt, you can’t act on their reports,” said PC Dinal Philips–the Counsel appearing for Kalinga Kumarage–the 400m sprinter facing suspension over doping.
WADA suspended the accreditation of the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) in New Delhi, India, for a period of up to six months on August 20 saying it failed to conform with International Standard for Laboratories (ISL).
Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA) sources said seven athletes are currently facing disciplinary actions over positive dope tests and want prosecutors to investigate the credibility of the lab reports before nailing them with career-threatening bans.
“This is nonsense. WADA should compensate our people. They did not compensate Kusal Janith. Now this poor athlete, Kumarage,” he added.
In May 2016, Sri Lanka cricketer Kusal Janith Perera successfully challenged a doping suspension proving scientifically and beyond reasonable doubt that the testing process of the WADA-accredited lab report in Qatar was flawed.
After withdrawing his provisional suspension, the International Cricket Council released a statement apologising to the cricketer.
It said it would call for an urgent explanation from WADA and the Qatar laboratory which tested Perera’s urine sample. The lab was suspended six months later before being reinstated in April 2017 after it corrected its deficiencies.
“Some athletes may have already served a wrong term. That is if the penalty is based on reports from a laboratory unsanctioned by WADA. They should stop bullying Asian athletes. Even today, no action has been taken by WADA for damaging the careers of athletes, who have been banned following reports by these labs,” Senior Counsel Philips emphasised.
“According to medical reports of the labs, Kalinga Kumarage and Kusal Janith Perera were tested with less than two nanograms of substances found in their bodies, which is surprising,” Philips added.
Meanwhile WADA’s local representative SLADA is yet to receive a clear directive to proceed with the ongoing cases.
“We have no confidence in these reports, because the lab has already been closed down. We are watching and waiting on how WADA will act on this, while expecting a reply from them,” said Dr. Seevalie Jayawickrama, the Director General of SLADA.