Monday, August 24, 2009

The WADA Pav Controversy

Last month, it was everywhere in the news. Every newspaper worth their salt covered it. Every TV channel worth their TRP covered it. I thought what the heck...what is all this noise about? It’s only then I started reading about the much-dreaded WADA pav rules. And indeed it is dreadful. Go on. Read the story and make your own judgment.

The core issue is this: The International Ticket Council (ITC) has made it mandatory that all agents under its governance have to enforce the WADA pav rules. The ITC’s grand agent in India, the Board for no Control on Tickets in India (BCTI), has in turn wanted to obtain their players’ consent for these rules. This is the point where they hit the bottle…I mean, bottleneck. The players are refusing to sign the WADA pav rules and are on the verge of mutiny. The BCTI, sensing a serious threat of revolt from their contracted players has instead taken up the matter with the ITC. It is understood that the BCTI has knowledge about the players eating WADA pav and is worried that by signing this clause, some of them will be caught doing it.

What is so dreadful about the WADA pav rules that the Indian Ticket players are refusing to sign? The primary objective of the WADA pav rules is that no player, in any sport, can eat WADA pav, either knowingly or unknowingly, as it is supposed to increase their stamina and serve as a performance booster. Eating WADA pav is frowned upon by the world’s sporting bodies, though widely practiced by players, in private. You may recollect that the Canadian athlete Bin Gonesince had tested positive for eating WADA pav and was stripped off his gold medal as he forgot to pay for it.

Also, the ITC endorsed WADA pav rules stipulate that every player has to fill up a whereabouts clause, where in they have to mention, where they will be present at any given time, for the next 3 months. This is to help the Inspectors catch the players doing it. This is the clause that the Ticket players are worried about. They feel that they would be vacationing in Maldives, or playing you-know-what games with you-know-who in hotel rooms or visiting nightclubs, etc. and they don’t want their WADA pav inspectors to visit them at such places and catch them doing it.. oops, eating it. It’s too much of a clause for some of them. I mean, if I were them, I would be worried sick, if I were doing it and I don’t want the Inspector to catch me doing it.

The Indian Skipper M. S. Money had this to say: “…. ‘I don’t know where this clause came from. It cannot be true because what happens inside a hotel room or nightclub when the selectors, the captain and the coaches are there, when it comes out it is disgusting and disrespectful. Things like this should not be happening. I’m not saying something happened in the hotels, but over the years we have seen things…”.

The first mate Raviraj Ming was quoted as saying “… I mean this clause is stupidity. If they don’t want players to eat WADA pav, they should not make them anymore. Its gross violation of privacy, when they ask for details of where a player will be in the next X month’s time, so that they can try catching them doing it. I mean, with my commitments and girl friends, how can I be sure where I will be doing it and whose address will I give?” True enough for him, I would say.

The owner of a league team, Ms. Pretty Junta offered this: “ I don’t see how players can escape this clause. Even my current partner Bread Bee has signed this clause. I mean, I eat WADA pav almost daily. Next thing, they would even say that the team owners should not eat WADA pav, as it may indirectly assist the players. I am worried for Bread Bee”.

The clause is a cause of serious concern for some players. The scorching pace man Giri Kanth from down south is a worried man these days. “ What is WADA pav? Never heard of it. I only eat Pav BHAJJI. Pav BHAJJI is my all time favorite. Sometimes, when you eat it, it would feel like someone has slapped you hard in the face. You should try it once. It would be the experience of a lifetime. I can never get enough of Pav BHAJJI” was all he offered, when a reporter questioned him.

The Indian political leader Bhoj Mockery claimed that this is an act of insult to the great WADA pav and is tact used by Northerners to suppress local food recipes. He claimed that Northerners should stop eating WADA pav and only players who eat WADA pav daily should be selected in the National Ticket team.

There are also international players like Raffle Goodall who have signed the rules but say that it’s a violation of privacy. US Tennis Ace Guindy Maari called this rule “Dragonian”, implying that some WADA pavs are really spicy.

However, Indian Tennis players Mania Ghar-jaa and Lihesh have urged the Indian Ticket players to sign the rules, as they both have signed.

It is confusing to read all the reports and come to a conclusion. If one of the all time tennis greats, Wager DHL with all his commitments can sign this and live with it, why not the Indian Ticket players? The other Ticket players have all signed it. If you are really in the clean, one should not worry about this rule. If there are no skeletons in the cupboard, why not bare (bear) it?

All this writing has made me hungry. Wish I could have a Wada Pav now. mmm..... Yummy.

(c) Vijayaganesh Sampathkumar -2009. All Rights Reserved.

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