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Time of India
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Dope Net! Wrestler Reetika Hooda waives ‘B' sample rights
Reetika Hooda (SAI) New Delhi: Paris Olympian Reetika Hooda has waived her right to 'B' sample testing after returning positive for banned substances. This means the former junior world champion wrestler now faces the prospect of a four-year ban by the National Anti-Doping Agency (Nada) for her first time doping offence. She also runs the risk of forfeiting her medals won since March 15, 2025 – the date her sample was collected by Nada's dope control officers. During the months leading to her provisional suspension by Nada, after receiving a notification of adverse analytical finding (AAF) on July 1, the 22-year-old Reetika, who competes in the women's 76kg category, won silver at the Asian wrestling championships (March 25 to 30) in Amman, Jordan, and gold medals at the Ulaanbaatar Ranking Series (May 29 to June 1) in Mongolia and the World Military Championships (June 22 to 29) in Warendorf, Germany. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Failure to prove her innocence before Nada's anti-doping disciplinary panel (ADDP) would result in all her competition results that came after her sample collection being declared as 'null and void'. The two-time Asian medallist has already been serving a oneyear suspension since July 7, 2025, imposed by the United World Wrestling (UWW) after the wrestler's sample showed higher testosterone levels and presence of prohibited substances in testing. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You To Read in 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The UWW's suspension will last until July 7, 2026. A copy of Reetika's AAF obtained by TOI revealed that her 'A' sample was tested at both the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) here and the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada)-accredited Cologne facility in Rome for 'testosterone and testosterone metabolite'. NDTL had sought a second opinion on Reetika's sample and the Cologne lab confirmed the findings in line with the Indian facility. Poll What should the punishment be for athletes found guilty of doping for the first time? 1-year ban 2-year ban 4-year ban Lifetime ban Her sample returned positive for S1.1 anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) and was consistent with exogenous origin for '5a-androstane-3a, 17b-diol (SaAdiol) and 5b-androstane-3a, 17b-diol (5bAdiol)'. The wrestler hadn't applied for the 'Therapeutic Use Exemption' (TUE) as per the AAF. Following her failure to appear for the 'B' sample testing, she has been served a formal notice of charge by Nada. 'If you waive the right to have the 'B' sample analysed, the anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) will be confirmed. In such an event and, according to article 10.2, the period of ineligibility imposed for the violation of article 2.1 and 2.2 for a non-specified substance, shall be four years. All results obtained by you from (and including) the date of sample collection (i.e. 15.03.2025) until the date of provisional suspension shall also be disqualified with all resulting consequences, unless fairness requires otherwise,' the Nada notice read. Reetika was tested during a selection trial for the Asian wrestling championships at the Indira Gandhi (IG) stadium here on March 15. The wrestler from Haryana's Rohtak was considered one of the strongest medal contenders for India at the wrestling Worlds scheduled to be held in Croatia in September. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!


The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
India's doping woes: WADA numbers show India has highest positivity rate among major countries
India's doping woes came to the fore once again with the country topping the World Anti-Doping Agency's 2023 testing figures among countries which analysed 5,000 or more samples even as the sports ministry promised an "aggressive clean-up" and an amended Anti-Doping Act after addressing objections from the WADA. India's positivity rate for banned substances stood at 3.8% -- 214 Adverse Analytical Findings (AAF) from 5606 samples. The sample size was significantly higher from 2022 when 3865 tests returned an AAF rate of 3.2%. Of the 5606 tests, 2748 were conducted in-competition. India's positivity rate for banned substances was significantly higher than China (28,197 samples, 0.2% AAF rate), USA (6798 samples, 1.0% AAF rate), France (11,368 samples, 0.9% AAF rate), Germany (15,153 samples, 0.4% AAF rate) and Russia (10,395 samples, 1.0% AAF rate). As compared to India's 214, France, Russia, USA, China and Germany recorded 105, 99, 66, 60 and 57 AAFs respectively. "Any amount of doping is unacceptable but we have to acknowledge that our testing is vigorous and with every year the sample size is increasing. With our aggressive awareness campaigns, we intend to bring the numbers down in the next two years," a sports ministry source said when approached for a comment on the latest report. Globally, 204,809 tests were conducted in 2023, of which 1,820 came positive for banned drugs with India's share of 214 accounting for over 11% of the total number of offenders, the highest for any country. In all, Delhi's National Dope testing Laboratory (NDTL) tested 6,077 samples, including those from neighbouring countries. It's Adverse Analytical Findings (AAF) rate of 3.63% makes up the highest percentage of positive dope results among the 30 WADA-accredited facilities across the world. Athletics leads the number of India's positive cases with 61 AAFs from 1223 samples — 567 in-competition and 539 out-of-competition urine samples as well as 117 blood samples. One AAF was reported from among the blood samples. Weightlifting accounted for 38 AAFs from 451 samples, while powerlifting and wrestling contributed 28 and 10 AAFs respectively. The numbers have expectedly raised an alarm and an admission that the country is yet to implement its Anti-Doping Act, which was passed in 2022, due to objections from WADA on some unspecified provisions. "The NADA bill will be brought back to the Parliament after a restructuring. We have addressed the objections raised by WADA, which required changes to certain provisions," a sports ministry source said. The National Anti-Doping Act, 2022 empowers the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) with legal authority and investigative powers similar to law enforcement bodies. NADA even conducted a workshop recently involving officers of CBI and INTERPOL to understand doping investigation mechanisms, including interrogation of suspected dope offenders and banned substances' suppliers. "The ministry is going to tackle this menace aggressively. There will be compulsory monthly doping awareness programmes and nutritional supplements will be tested at specialised labs in Gandhinagar and Delhi to ensure that they do not contain prohibited substances," a ministry source said. "Most of the time, doping by a young athlete is either unintentional due to lack of knowledge or in desperation to get that one national performance that would help in getting a government job. But we will drill it into their psyche that they have more to lose if they don't comply with anti-doping rules," he added. A NADA source said that India has demonstratively upped its numbers as far as testing is concerned and in relative terms, there has been a marginal decline in positivity rate. "We had nearly the same positivity rate when we tested close to 4000 samples and now that rate has more or less remained the same with 1500 more tests this year. So, in relative terms there is a decline," he said. "But of course, even this number is unacceptable given our ambition to be a sporting powerhouse," he added.


Mint
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Fired US Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden speaks out, details abrupt dismissal
Carla Hayden, the first woman and African American to serve as the US Librarian of Congress, revealed she has had no direct contact with the Trump administration over her sudden dismissal in May. 'No one has talked to me directly at all from the White House,' Hayden told correspondent Robert Costa. 'I've received no communication directly, except for that one email. That's the only communication,' Hayden said in an exclusive interview with CBS News. Hayden described the abrupt manner in which she was removed from her post, which she held since 2016 after being appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate. On May 8, she received a brief email stating: 'Carla, on behalf of President Donald J Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as the Librarian of Congress is terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service.' Asked if her tenure truly ended with 'one missive that's electronic,' she confirmed, 'That was it.' Hayden added, 'I was never notified beforehand and after.' The Trump administration justified the dismissal partly over Hayden's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts at the Library of Congress. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on May 10: 'There were quite concerning things that she had done at the Library of Congress in the pursuit of DEI and putting inappropriate books in the library for children.' Leavitt added, 'She has been removed from her position, and the president is well within his rights to do that.' Hayden faced political pressure from the conservative advocacy group American Accountability Foundation (AAF), which accused her and other library leaders of promoting children's books with 'radical content' and literature opposing President Trump. Hours before the firing announcement, the AAF called Hayden 'woke' and 'anti-Trump' on its X account, demanding, 'It's time to get her OUT.' As Librarian of Congress, Hayden oversaw management and policy for the nation's largest library, which serves Congress and the public with vast collections of books, historical papers, rare artifacts, and archives of presidential and Supreme Court documents. Her removal marks one of several dismissals of federal officials perceived as misaligned with Trump's agenda during his second term.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fired US librarian of Congress details callous dismissal in new interview
The first woman and African American to serve as the US librarian of Congress before Donald Trump fired her in May has not heard from the president's administration beyond the 31-word email it sent her with word of her dismissal, she has revealed in her first interview since her ouster. 'No one has talked to me directly at all from the White House,' Carla Hayden says in an interview airing on the upcoming CBS News Sunday Morning. 'I've received no communication directly, except for that one email. 'That's the only communication.' Hayden's comments to the CBS national correspondent Robert Costa provide a first-hand glimpse at the unceremonious way she was fired from a post to which the US Senate confirmed her in 2016. She had been thrust under political pressure by a conservative advocacy group that had pledged to drive out anyone deemed to be standing in the way of the Trump White House's rightwing agenda. That organization, the American Accountability Foundation (AAF), leveled accusations against Hayden and other library leaders that they had promoted children's books with 'radical content' as well as literature by opponents of the president. Hayden then received an email on 8 May that read: 'Carla, on behalf of President Donald J Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as the Librarian of Congress is terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service.' Asked by Acosta whether her tenure really ended 'with one missive that's electronic', Hayden replied: 'That was it.' She also remarked: 'I was never notified beforehand and after.' Hayden is one of numerous federal government officials whom Trump has dismissed upon having been convinced that they were not aligned with his second presidency's plans. Just hours before her firing became public, the AAF used its X account to insult her as 'woke' and 'anti-Trump'. 'It's time to get her OUT,' the AAF also said on X, in part. Congressional Democrats reacted with fury to Hayden's termination. New York's Chuck Schumer, the top US Senate Democrat, said Hayden was a 'trailblazer, a scholar and a public servant of the highest order'. The New York representative Joseph Morelle, the highest-ranking Democrat on the US House's administration committee, called Hayden 'an American hero'. 'Hayden has spent her entire career serving people – from helping kids learn to read to protecting some of our nation's most precious treasures,' said Morelle, whose committee oversees the congressional library. The Library of Congress sits across from the US Capitol in Washington DC. It holds a vast collection of the US's books and history, making it available to federal lawmakers as well as the public. It archives the papers of presidents and supreme court justices and has collections of rare books, images, music and artifacts. In 2022, Hayden arranged for the singer Lizzo to play one of those artifacts: a flute owned by James Madison, who was US president from 1809 to 1817.


Malaysian Reserve
07-06-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
GOODBY SILVERSTEIN & PARTNERS TAKES HOME "BEST OF SHOW" AT THE 2025 AAF AMERICAN ADVERTISING AWARDS
'The Other Hand' for Cheetos Wins Best of Show; Work From BYU AdLab for Crayola Captures Best of Show in the Student Competition WASHINGTON, June 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A campaign from Goodby Silverstein & Partners for Cheetos ('The Other Hand') was named 'Best of Show' at the 2025 American Advertising Awards, sponsored by AAF. The winner was announced at a Gala Awards Ceremony as part of AAF's ADMERICA annual conference held in Pittsburgh, PA. The event was hosted by Nina Parker, the Emmy-nominated television personality. Work from BYU AdLab for Crayola ('Ink Up, Wash Out') was named 'Best of Show' winner in the Student portion of the competition. The American Advertising Awards are widely acknowledged as the largest and most representative competition of its kind. Campaigns need to advance through both local and regional levels of the three-tier competition before they can become eligible for the national prize. In all, just 51 Gold ADDYs were awarded among Professionals. 'Competition in the ADDYs gives us a chance to see how we stack up against the best in the business,' said Chris Beresford-Hill, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer at BBDO who served as the first-ever Competition Chair for this Year's American Advertising Awards. 'It's exciting to measure our work against the industry's top talents and learn from what others are doing. It pushes us all to elevate our game.' He added, 'I'm thrilled to see so much exceptional work being recognized through the ADDYs. Celebrating these achievements not only highlights our creativity but also reinforces the impact of effective advertising on our clients' success.' 'The Other Hand' campaign notes how '99% of people eat Cheetos with their dominant hand. Using your other hand? It's a Cheetos thing.' It's the second time in the past three years that work for Cheetos from Goodby Silverstein & Partners has taken home 'Best of Show.' In addition to the overall 'Bests of Show,' other notable campaigns recognized at this year's American Advertising Awards included: Special Judges Awards were presented to Rise and Shine & Partners for 'Supercuts Real Dumb Coupon' for Regis Corporation; Goodby Silverstein & Partners for 'Ask Dali' for the Dali Museum; and BBDO Worldwide for 'Tail Orchestra' for Pedigree Three Mosaic ADDYs for work that exemplifies a spirit of diversity and inclusion were presented to Whiskey Design for its 'Artisan Remix Can Series' for Vine Street Brewing; Cannonball, for the 'Superhero Project' for Superhero Project; and Harris Media Company for 'When We Got the Call' for the LifeCenter Organ Donor Network You can view these Special Awards, along with all of the winning work, at Summing up, Beresford-Hill said, 'Congratulations to all the winners of this year's ADDY Awards! Your creativity and hard work exemplify the best of our industry. You've set the bar high for all of us!' ABOUT AAF The AAF's Board of Directors guides and oversees the Federation's signature events and initiatives, including the Advertising Hall of Fame, Advertising Hall of Achievement, American Advertising Awards, Advertising Day on the Hill, Most Promising Multicultural Students Program, and HBCUs for Advertising – all serving the Federation's 35,000+ professional members nationwide, 4,000+ students and educators, and more than 60+ corporate members spanning media and tech companies, advertisers and agencies. Established in 1905, the American Advertising Federation (AAF), acts as 'The Unifying Voice for Advertising.' Visit