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India’s dream of becoming a ‘sporting nation’ may remain unfulfilled as in its recent report the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) claimed that the country is leading the list for doping violations. Further, WADA has also found India to be the second worst offender for doping cases among child athletes. In all certainty, the twin blow just before the commencement of the Paris Olympic will hamper India’s reputation as an emerging sporting power in the world. India had occupied 48th place in the Tokyo Olympic by winning one gold, two silvers and four bronze medals. With Neeraj Chopra, the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic gold in the track & field events on board, along with a few other promising Indian athletes who have successfully secured Olympic berths, the country appears confident of doing much better in Paris. Being under constant vigil by WADA may make Indian sportspersons uncomfortable as they gear up to participate in the greatest sporting arena of the world. In such a situation, it is the duty of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to pick the contingent for Paris carefully, so that no Indian athlete is found guilty of doping. At the same time, the association should also arrange counselling sessions for every member to aid their mental health.
Along with the aforementioned measures, several long-term measures are required to wipe out the problem from its roots. In this context, the role of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) is crucial. It should conduct many more doping tests than at present. It must be noted that NADA conducted only 3865 dope tests, while China has conducted over 19 thousand tests followed by Germany with over 13 thousand tests. In this year’s budget INR 22.3 crore has been earmarked for NADA’s operations. This fund should be used judiciously to enhance dope tests facilities even at the grass root level to curb budding sportspersons from indulging in doping and help them remain doping free from childhood. At the same time it should be ensured that along with guilty athletes, the coaches should also be punished as on many occasions it has been found that they were responsible for the sportspersons taking prohibited drugs.
It’s a pity that India, which was till recently known for its clean sporting culture, has now found its name in the list of dope-tainted nations. So to clear its name, the country should fight against the menace at the right earnest, adopting a zero-tolerance attitude towards it. It must be made mandatory for all competitors participating in domestic competitions like Khelo India to clear the dope tests as it will ensure only eligible sportspersons get to participate. Additionally an awareness programme against the ill-effects of doping should be launched so that no one falls prey to this menace.