Spanish tennis superstar Rafael Nadal has expressed his support to the ongoing protest against the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority’s (ASADA) ultra-strict antidoping rules which go as far as keeping tabs on the whereabouts of athletes as well as their schedules. Some 60 athletes have brought their grievances against ASADA to Belgium’s high court on grounds that the antidoping rules constitute invasion of privacy.

In an interview Wednesday at the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal, who had just crushed Gilles Simon in the quarterfinals, agreed that the rules were a bit too harsh. Nadal said that ASADA’s rules “have to be changed completely,” as he considers them to be “an intolerable harassment”. The World’s Number 1 ranked tennis player added that athletes are unanimous in their stand that they have proven to be a clean sport.

ASADA had earlier revamped its anti doping monitoring system by requiring the top athletes, including the top-seeded tennis players, to inform antidoping authorities of their exact whereabouts for about one hour everday to facilitate anti doping testing. “We are humans,” Nadal was quoted as saying, pointing out that athletes should not be subjected to shuch rules that make them feel like they are “delinquents”. Under ASADA’s world anti doping code, all athletes who are subject to testing must submit a quarterly listing of their schedules for the next three months. Anti-doping authorities must be informed of any and all changes immediately. Nadal said this is totally excessive - having to send anti doping authorities or be overly concerned about some last minute changes.

ASADA claims these rules were created so that athletes could be tested in and out of comepetition, since some banned substances are known to exit the system within hours. ASADA and the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) deemed it necessary for athletes to be randomly tested at any time. ASADA is the Australian government statutory authority and is the country’s driving force in promoting dope-free sports. Its mission revolves on three key themes: deterring, detecting, and enforcing anti-doping policies.

According to its anti-doping rules, the presence of any prohibited substances as well as its metabolites or markers in any athlete’s bodily specimens are his responsibility and shall constitute an anti-doping rule violation.The ASADA also monitors for any attempted use of a banned substance or any other prohibited method - and considers it inconsequential if the attempt to take performance enhancing drugs was successful. The athlete will still be held liable for making the attempt.

Evading testing or refusing and failing to provide a urine or blood sample for anti doping tests is also considered a violation.

ASADA says all athletes are required to immediately submit samples after being directed by an anti-doping authority. This includes the much protested out-of competition testing, where athletes are required to provide details of their whereabouts. ASADA says these rules comply with the set International Standards for Testing. A combination of three missed tests or filing failures within an 18-month period will make the athlete’s case subject for review.

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