Kishore Jena, DP Manu included in World Athletics' Registered Testing Pool

Indian javelin throwers Kishore Kumar Jena and DP Manu have been included in the Registered Testing Pool (RTP) of World Athletics for the first quarter of 2024.

Athletes at the highest level of their sport are selected for the testing pool of World Athletics.

Kishore creditably finished fifth at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August before winning a silver medal at the Asian Games with his season and personal best effort of 87.54 in Hangzhou. He also qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

At the end of the season, Jena emerged as India's No. 2 javelin thrower behind reigning Olympic, world and Asian Games champion Neeraj Chopra, who had a season best of 88.88 in 2022.

Manu, who achieved his PB of 84.35 at Chennai in 2022, emerged as one of India's most promising thrower behind Neeraj and Kishore with a season best effort of 84.33m. Manu finished sixth at the World Championships.

Meanwhile, in the list of the world's best-performing athletes in 2023, led by Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic with an SB of 89.51m throw, Kishore was placed in the fifth spot behind Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan. Neeraj is second on the list, while Julian Weber grabbed the third spot.

With Kishore and Manu's inclusion, the Indian list in the World Athletics' RTP has expanded to seven. The remaining five athletes are Neeraj (javelin throw), Avinash Sable (steeplechase), Murali Sreeshankar and Jeswin Aldrin (long jump) and Annu Rani (javelin throw).

Triple jumper Abdulla Aboobacker, despite his gold medal winning show at Asian Championships, has been excluded from the RTP following his below par performance at World Championships, Diamond League and Asian Games.

The included athletes are bound to inform their 'whereabouts' to World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) as well as National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) on a quarterly basis.

The 'whereabouts' details include residential address and training locations. The athletes will also have to give a one-hour slot every day where they would be available.

For athletes, failing to adhere to these norms will be considered as a 'missed test', whereas failure to file 'whereabouts' details will constitute a "whereabouts failure". Three such failures or missed tests combined could attract a two-year suspension from an anti-doping agency.