Mumbai: Indian tennis player Yash Chaurasia has been handed a provisional suspension by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for an anti-doping violation, with traces of terbutaline found in an in-competition sample.
The 23-year-old opted for a voluntary provisional suspension from January 22, with his case currently under process with the ITIA after Chaurasia maintained that the substance entered his body “unintentionally”.
Doping in tennis has been in the spotlight over the last few months, with men’s world No.1 Jannik Sinner and women’s world No.2 Iga Swiatek testing positive for banned substances. The handling of their cases, right from the secrecy around it to the brief suspensions (the World Anti Doping Agency has challenged the length of Sinner’s ban), has trigged a debate about whether protocols and rules are the same for lower ranked players compared to those at the top. Novak Djokovic has called for “standardised approaches” to doping cases in the sport.
While the cases of Sinner and Swiatek were kept under wraps for a considerable period of time, the ITIA confirmed the suspensions of Chaurasia and USA’s David Saye in a statement on January 28.
Chaurasia, who trains in Chandigarh and is ranked 240 in the ITF charts, tested positive while competing in an ITF tournament in Kalaburagi last November. Both his samples contained terbutaline, a prohibited substance under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme. Commonly used in cough syrups, India cricketer Prithvi Shaw served a suspension for the same substance some years ago.
According to Chaurasia, he purchased a commonly used cough syrup from a pharmacy near his hotel after feeling sick with chest congestion during the tournament in Kalaburagi. He was tested after a couple of days and on January 14, received a communication from ITIA about the violation.
While Sinner and Swiatek had some of the best legal minds taking up their case, Chaurasia read up about similar cases himself. He said hiring a lawyer would have been financially taxing.
Even though the substance does not carry a “mandatory provisional suspension during investigation”, as per the ITIA, the Indian chose to take a voluntary provisional suspension on January 22.
“When I read about other similar cases, many were given just a few months of suspension. While I’m hoping for a full waiver, even if I do get a suspension, the backdated time will be considered. I’ve submitted all documents to them proving the unintentional use,” Chaurasia said.
Chaurasia said he is awaiting a response from ITIA, after which he can either accept their verdict or, if not satisfied, take his case further to an independent tribunal. The timeframe for the entire process is uncertain. Until then, the Indian cannot compete in tournaments.
“I’m waiting for their response,” he said. “This is a new challenge for me. But I hope to return to playing tennis soon.”
