Arun Haryani, 38, a fan, poses with the Olympic rings as he cheers on India’s group for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, in Ahmedabad, India, July 22, 2021.— Reuters
Indian sport is battling to shake off its status for being one of many world’s worst doping offenders because the nation pushes an bold bid to host the 2036 Olympics.
The Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) has raised considerations in regards to the variety of Indian rivals taking performance-enhancing medication and so too has the nation’s best-known athlete.
The 2021 Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra made a blunt admission earlier this yr.
“Doping is a big problem in India among our athletes,” he informed native media, saying they as a substitute ought to “eat well, rest well and work hard”.
The Indian Olympic Affiliation (IOA) final month shaped a brand new anti-doping panel after the IOC flagged India’s poor report.
The federal government has handed a brand new nationwide anti-doping invoice aiming to tighten enforcement, increase testing amenities and “ensure the highest standards of integrity” in sports activities.
“Obviously the IOC would want to make sure that in awarding the Games to a country, the host has a robust doping policy and governance,” Michael Payne, former IOC advertising director, informed AFP.
The World Anti-Doping Company (WADA) lists India among the many worst offenders amongst nations submitting greater than 1,000 samples.
India’s nationwide anti-doping company, NADA, insists the figures replicate extra aggressive testing within the nation of 1.4 billion folks.
From 5,606 samples collected in 2023, 213 got here again constructive.
The artificial steroid stanozolol is probably the most extensively used banned substance taken by Indian athletes, consultants say.
Careers at stake
Regardless of its huge inhabitants India has received solely 10 Olympic golds in its historical past.
Specialists say desperation so as to add to that and escape poverty is one motive why some Indian athletes are ready to danger doping.
Success in sports activities could be a ticket to coveted authorities jobs, typically with the police or armed forces.
That gives life-long monetary safety after their sporting careers finish.
“Athletes know that they can be punished but still put their careers at stake,” lawyer Saurabh Mishra, who has defended athletes in doping scandals, stated.
“(They know that) getting a medal will help them clinch a government job.”
Athletics leads India’s doping violations, adopted by wrestling, the place 19 athletes had been lately banned.
In July under-23 wrestling champion and Paris Olympics quarter-finalist Reetika Hooda examined constructive and was provisionally suspended.
Mishra stated some athletes are victims of ignorance, consuming banned substances by dietary supplements or medicines, however others take dangers knowingly.
Typically they’re inspired by their coaches to dope.
Sports activities medication professional Saranjeet Singh, who has written extensively on doping in India, stated a latest surge in violations was solely partly as a consequence of stricter testing.
“They cannot achieve the level of performance that they want at international level and use banned drugs for a short cut,” Singh informed AFP.
Greater hurdles
India now faces a race to show its credibility, because it competes with the likes of Indonesia, Turkey, Chile and Qatar for the 2036 Video games.
The previous IOC advertising director Payne famous that many previous Olympic hosts had chequered doping histories.
Whereas doping is a matter, India’s higher impediment to staging an Olympics lies elsewhere, he stated.
“The bigger issue is confidence in the overall operational delivery capabilities of the host, and there India has a lot of work to do,” Payne stated.
He was referring to the corruption-riddled 2010 Commonwealth Video games in New Delhi, reminiscences of which nonetheless linger.
“That is the biggest hurdle facing India’s bid,” Payne stated.
