DOPING IN SPORTS

These have been athletics’ darkest decades. Evidence of doping, or the use of banned performance-enhancing substances, has been lengthening its shadow on track and field events ever since Canada’s Ben Johnson was stripped of his Olympics 100m gold medal almost within hours of breaking the world record at Seoul in 1988. With improvements in diagnostic tests and more proactive investigations, others too have been retrospectively relieved of their titles — most notably American Marion Jones, once hailed as the greatest athlete of her generation, who lost the three gold and two bronze medals she had won at the 2000 Olympics. The prevalence of doping — or the suspicion of it — is so overwhelming that now even those who have cleared tests are viewed with suspicion, and at the great championships sprinters have lost their celebrity status.

The Indian sport establishment cannot affect surprise at the instances of doping that have come to light these past few days, with one after another athlete testing positive for anabolic steroid use. Among them are Ashwini Akkunji, the golden girl of the moment with her medals at the Commonwealth and Asian Games last year, and her colleagues on the celebrated 4x400m relay squad. With the scale of possible offences growing, coach Yuri Ogorodnik and two of his assistants have been sacked. The athletes claim that they did not intentionally consume banned substances, and that it could be that their nutritional supplements had been contaminated. Cases will, as they must, be investigated individually, but the number indicates complicity and callousness at many levels. In fact, suspicions have been rampant not just about widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs, but also about a systemic support for the practice.

Enforcing a zero-tolerance regime of surprise checks is an obvious requirement. But athletes and their support staff also need to be updated constantly on training practices. Just the other day athletics was India’s good news story, a story of aspiration. That it’s changing so fast is sad. It must also serve as an alarm that we can no longer postpone the enforcement of best practices.

Shri Ajay Maken, Union Minister of State ( I/C) for Youth Affairs & Sports has outlined various steps to  inquire into whole doping episode and curb this menace. At the press conference here today, Shri Maken gave the details of the six point directions issued to the officers of Sports Ministry and Sports Authority of India (SAI) to inquire into doping episode.

In light of the positive dope tests of eight athletes, M/s Mandeep Kaur, SiniJose, Joanna Murmu, Ashwini Akkunji, Tianna Mary Thomas (4*400 m), HariKrishnan (long jump), Sonia (shot put) and Priyanka Panwar ( 400 m)  and the ongoing inquiry thereof, it is directed that the Department/ SAI should take note of and focus on the role of the personnel support infrastructure behind these athletes, Shri Maken said.

Shri Maken further stated that while every doping incident involves personaldisgrace , banning and even threats of medals getting withdrawn from the accused athletes; the role of supporting coaches , doctors officials and other needs to be inquired, ascertained and suitably disposed.   Accordingly, the Government/SAI should;

1. Withdraw/ relieve the foreign coach/ coaches attached to these athletes with immediate effect.
2. Seek a report from Sports Authority of India (SAI) about any vigilance lapses and availability of such drugs/ dope on NIS, Patiala premises. DG, SAI should seek and submit this report within three days.
3. Immediate provisions be made for changing/ rotating Doping officers frequently.
4. Seek a report from the Athletics Federation of India ( AFI) regarding the issue.
5. Examine provisions for increasing the strength of Doctors at NIS, Patiala to at least three, including one Lady Doctor. And,
6. An inquiry headed by a Retd. High Court Judge or  Chairman, Disciplinary hearing Panel of NADA be constituted to look into and establish the reasons leading up to such state of affairs, its effect, prevalence and modus operandi. The inquiry may also suggest concrete measures to ensure that such events/ issues do not emerge in future.

The Sports Minister also gave the details of the various measures announced by the National Anti Dope Agency (NADA) in the last two days to prevent the occurrence of dope in sports. These are

1.      Increase in frequency of Dope Test.

2.      Tie up with the customs authorities to detect the import of such banned food supplements /drugs.

3.      Track movement of drugs in and around the campus area of TrainingCentres.

4.      Increase the session of counseling of the players.

5.      Greater surveillance of coaches, doctors and support staff through their employers.

6.      Conduct frequent searches of room/s of the players, coaches and support staff.