Rijiju launches reference material for use in anti-doping labs

A reference material (RM), jointly synthesized by the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) and the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Guwahati, for use in the anti-doping field was launched by Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday.

The RM, identified by NDTL as one of the rarely available ones globally, would be used to strengthen anti-doping measures in all World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited labs, said a statement from the Sports Ministry.

During testing of a sample, RMs provide identity confirmation for prohibited substances which do not have threshold limits.

Read: A nine-month dope test-free window for elite Indian athletes in 2019  

NDTL and NIPER-G had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in August 2020 to synthesize 20 rare RMs over three years.

“This is a special moment. I congratulate all the scientists in NDTL and NIPER-G for producing one of the 20 RMs,” said Rijiju.

It has been decided to distribute 5mg of this indigenously developed RM to all the WADA-accredited dope testing laboratories, free of cost.