India’s ugly truth- Corruption followed by doping scandal

With the removal of Ukranian coach, Yuri Ogrodnik, after eight women athletes tested positive for steroids, the big question is who is to be blamed for the growing drug menace in the sports fraternity. Speak Up brings you views of eminent sports personalities

Athletes should be made aware about the menace of doping
It is entirely the fault of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Federation. The athletes are not educated about the dope menace. It is sad that the coach himself got them the supplement from Ukraine.

The coach, is not a doctor, he should have consulted a sports medicine doctor before giving it to the athletes. It is clear that the SAI and the federations are not keen in taking this big issue seriously.

The only thing that would save us from further shame is by educating the athletes and bringing in doctors who are experts in this field. In 2001, one case was reported in badminton when Aparna Popat tested positive. She had consumed De-cold. She made a mistake as she did not consult a doctor and paid the price for it. She was banned for three months.

But, now things are better in the shuttle game as the players are more aware of the pitfalls.

Uday Sane,
joint secretary, Pune District Metropolitan Badminton Association (PDMBA)

There were several complaints against the Ukranian coach
I believe that players and coaches are equally guilty for this shame. Many players, especially those who come from rural areas, can’t even fill up forms properly. They have the least knowledge of medicines and international rules and regulations.

And they are misused by the coaches. In many SAI centres in India, it is observed that a group of athletes just participate in Indian camps and hardly play any tournaments. These players misguide the newcomers.

On the other hand, it is also seen that the players are getting more result-oriented. These players didn’t get caught in Youth Games or Commonwealth Games as they knew that the performance in the senior nationals matters the most to secure a berth in Olympics. Their sudden rise in the performance clearly indicates that they wanted to produce the best results and didn’t bother to stoop down to any level. This is a very dangerous mentality.

As far as the Ukrainian coach is concerned, there were several complaints about him but were played down. I feel that the players should seek advice from senior players and be better prepared.

Abhay Malekar,
athletics coach

The country’s name comes first, then player’s fame
I feel that the rules and regulations set by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) and NADA (National Anti-Doping Agency) must be followed meticulously by each and every sportsperson. It is expected that the athletes should improve his power, strength and performance through natural process.

But, over the years, it has been observed that many players get tempted by the unnatural way. Not just in India, but many athletes in US and other countries have been stripped from their medals. These athletes just do not insult the true sprit of the game but also do injustice to the other players who have devoted their whole lives to sports.

The players should understand that it’s the country that comes first and then their personal fame. I strongly believe that such players should be banned from participating in any tournament.

Balasaheb Landge,
secretary, Maharashtra Olympic Association

Coach can’t involve players in doping by keeping them in dark
This incident once again proves that there is no shortcut to success. The players can enjoy fame for a short period of time but they forget that this short-term fame is going to cost them a lot in future. I have seen many players suffer from several physical problems throughout their lives.

And they also taint their social image, lose respect and trust of the common man. As far as the recent doping incident is concerned, the players are to be blamed. No coach can involve players in doping by keeping them in dark. Right now, we don’t know the exact background of the Ukrainian coach, so it won’t be right to say anything about him.

But, even if he is found guilty, the players are equally responsible.

Lalit Nahata,
joint secretary Maharashtra Basketball Association

Our players need a proper high protein diet
I feel that Indian players don’t just need supplements to improve their performance. They need a proper high protein diet as its consumption is very low among our athletes.

Secondly, doping is not a one-night stand. It’s a systematic feeding, so if athletes say that they were unaware, nobody is going to believe that.

The only exception is if they are misguided by the coach. Most of the athletes come from rural areas and are not well-educated. So there are chances that they didn’t know what supplements they are taking. Players need to understand that apart from being caught, there are several side effects of doping.

Some players suffer from several health-related problems like blood pressure and heart attacks. As for the Ukrainian coach, he should not be let off. If he is guilty then it is obvious that he has ruined not only careers of these athletes but he is responsible for their lifetime embarrassment. I strongly believe that strict action should be taken against the guilty.

Jitendra Khasnis,
swimming coach

Thankfully athletes didn’t get caught during Olympics
It’s still not clear as to who is exactly guilty in this case, but one thing is sure that this incident has dented our country’s image. But, we should be thankful that the athletes were not caught during Olympics, otherwise it would have been the worst situation of all.

Basically it’s difficult to digest that the athletes were unaware about doping. These players have been representing India for few years, so they must know about the banned substances. The benefit of doubt one can give is that only one substance was found in all the cases. So there is possibility that it could be found in edible items. Games like badminton, table tennis and tennis require more skill contribution as compared to athletics and weightlifting, where more stress is given on physical contribution.

Moreover, they had to perform their best within a very short span of time. Therefore, chances of temptation of using substances are more. I feel it is the coach’s primary duty to ensure that every player is aware of the outcome. Moreover, the associations should run awareness programmes for each and every player.

Uday Bhalchandra,
table tennis organiser