New Delhi, Jan 5: Star Indian women cricketers Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues were among the prominent additions to the National Anti-Doping Agency’s Registered Testing Pool for the first quarter of 2026 but athletics accounted for the lion’s share of 118 names in the 347-strong list.
In all, 120 names were added to the previous RTP that comprised 227 athletes.
The significant rise is because of Commonwealth and Asian Games scheduled later this year and India’s push for more aggressive testing.
Athletes listed in RTP are required to share their whereabouts with the anti-doping agency and be available for testing in a specified window everyday. Three failures to provide whereabouts is considered a doping violation.
Athletics, which accounted for 68 names in the previous NADA RTP, has a markedly higher presence in the new one with big names such as steeplechaser Avinash Sable, hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, decathlete Tejaswin Shankar and sprinter Animesh Kujur included for the first quarter.
Fourteen cricketers have been enlisted with Mandhana and Rodrigues replacing Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson. (PTI)
