Bhaskar to lose National Games gold after testing positive for banned beta blocker

Balachandra Bhaskar will forfeit the gold he won in the 2023 National Games Billiards competition after a National Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) reprimanded him for testing positive for a prohibited substance. A late addition to the draw, he erred in not seeking Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) before being charged with an anti-doping rule violation.

A 1998 Asian Games bronze medallist and 2018 World Championships finalist, Balachandra Bhaskar tested positive for Metorpolol, a beta blocker, but has had to take prescribe medication for life after a surgery to replace a heart valve in February 2020. The medication has been deemed essential by medical professionals to manage his condition and avoid a fatal relapse.

The ADDP, chaired by Chaitanya Mahajan and including Dr. Rana Chengappa and former badminton player Abantika Deka, found no fault or negligence and limited its sanction to a reprimand without an ineligibility period and the disqualification of the 53-year-old player’s results obtained in the National Games. 

Balachandra Bhaskar’s counsel Srinivasan Saimani and Arryan Mithal argued that the use of the prohibited substance did not provide performance enhancement beyond his normal state of health. National Anti-Doping Agency’ argued through advocate Prateek Dhanda and its Law Officer Yasir Arafat that the TUE Physician Guidelines had been complied with.

The ADDP emphasised the importance of adhering to a higher standard of care and awareness, particularly if an athlete intends to compete and excel at National and International levels. It advised the athlete to familiarise himself thoroughly with the Anti-Doping Rules and be more vigilant when consuming medication or food to avoid potential rule violations.

“Changing the prescribed medication or seeking a medical opinion at short notice would have posed significant risks to his health. Therefore, the athlete’s continuation of the prescribed medication following the February 2020 surgery was deemed medically necessary and justified under the circumstances,” the panel observed.

Since the ADDP’s Medical Member, Dr. Chengappa, emphasised that the use of beta blockers in this case was entirely justified, given their role in managing heart rate following a critical, life-threatening event, it should not be difficult for the TUE panel to  consider a fresh TUE application by Balachandra Bhaskar. 

He applied for a retroactive TUE on December 30, 2023, but that was possibly rejected because he had delayed the application till after he tested positive and the surgery had taken place in 2020. He played three National Championships and the 2023 IBSF Billiards World Championships in Doha, Qatar, without applying for a TUE. 

However, both in the National Games and the World Championships that followed, he had informed the respective Chiefs Referee that he was taking such medication. Both officials had assured him that he should not have any concerns.  He also declared his medications on the Doping Control Form. 

It is expected that the Indian Olympic Association would recast the Billiards results and grant Maharashtra’s Rohan Jambursaia the National Games gold medal, bumping up Aamer Hussain (West Bengal) and Ketan Chawla (Madhya Pradesh) to the silver and bronze medal positions in the wake of the ADDP order.

In other interesting recent orders by ADDPs, a weightlifter Rohit was banned for six years for testing positive for multiple prohibited substances and a Discus Thrower Banvir Singh was handed a two-year ban for Whereabouts Failures. The latter has not competed since May 2022, indicating that he was possibly in the Registered Testing Pool in 2022 or 2023.