Adrian D’Souza caught in NADA net

BANGALORE: Former India hockey goalkeeper Adrian D’Souza tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a recreational drug, at the World Hockey Series recently.

Adrian’s is the only positive case out of the 10 results announced by the National Dope Testing Laboratory. Two more results are yet to be announced.

Adrian’s ‘A’ sample, collected on March 21 during random tests by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) contained “higher concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a metabolite of marijuana.” The drug, which comes under the S8 category (cannaboids) in World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of prohibited substances, is banned in competition.

The goalkeeper, who was found to have violated Article 2.1 of the NADA and the World Anti-Doping Code, has seven days to get his ‘B’ sample tested. However, since the banned substance belonged to the specified substances list, he has not been provisionally suspended. Even the sanction could vary from a mere warning to a maximum suspension of two years.

Adrian, who turned out for Mumbai Marines in WSH, stands to lose his earnings from the tournament if he is sanctioned, NADA sources told TOI.

Adrian had been in the first phase of the national camp last year but was not selected for the Asian Champions Trophy. He hasn’t figured among the national probables since.

Meanwhile, all 16 tests conducted by NADA during the Olympic qualifiers in February in New Delhi turned to be negative.