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The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) will keep a close watch on players during the National Benchpress (men and women) Powerlifting Championship that kicks off in the city from Saturday.
The four-day event, being organised by the Indian Powelifting Federation at The Milanee Hall in Bistupur, is likely to see participation from 600 powerlifters from various parts of the country.
Sources said officials from NADA’s zonal unit in Calcutta would make their way to the city for the tournament on Saturday and conduct random urine tests on lifters.
The NADA team, which will be assisted by local volunteers, will also conduct random inspection of the rooms of participants who would be putting up at the JRD Tata Sports Complex.
The vigilance team will have the authority to inspect the bags of the lifters and their coaches.
Speaking to The Telegraph on Friday, Indian Powelifting Federation general secretary Bhaskar Mitra said a special watch would be kept on all the top seeds.
“Random urine tests will be conducted both before and after the competition. We will provide refrigeration facilities to the NADA team at the venue itself,” Mitra said.
The collected samples would be later sent to teh NADA laboratory in New Delhi.
According to Mitra, the sports ministry has issued circular to the NADA to conduct random tests on athletes during powerlifting championships and selection trials. “The NADA team would be coming here on request as we do not want our image to be tarnished by dope-related incidents,” he said.
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