Doping mars moderate international success of Indian athletics

Failure at the world stage but moderate success at the continental level and a shameful doping episode towards the end marked a forgettable 2009 for Indian athletics.

Indian athletes achieved moderate success at the Asian Championships and three Grand Prix events but came a cropper at the World Championships. The country won a rich haul of 31 medals (five gold, 11 silver and 15 bronze) in the three legs of the Asian Grand Prix with Surendra Kumar winning three gold medals -- two in 3000m and one in 5000m -- while promising shot putter Om Prakash also fetched a yellow medal and two silvers.

India finished a creditable third in the Asian Championships in China in November with 12 medals, including a gold by shot Putter Om Prakash Singh, behind the hosts and Japan. Om Prakash, who had an impressive season this year, won a gold while Kavita Raut bagged a silver and bronze in women's 1000m and 5000m. It was, however, a disappointing show by the Indians at the global stage.

With long jumper Anju Bobby George lying low due to an ankle injury after her Beijing Olympics disappointment, all the six athletes who represented the country in the World Championships in Berlin in August brought up the rear in their respective events.

Seema Antil and Krishna Poonia (both discus throwers) failed to qualify for the final round, Joseph Abraham (400m hurdle) was disqualified in the preliminary round, Surendra Kumar Singh (10,00m) finished 19th and Sushmita Singha Roy (heptathlon) was last among 26 competitors.

Babubhai Panocha (20km walk race) created a national record with a 1:23:06 effort but finished 20th. This was after the six athletes along with 20-odd compatriots had a month-long training-cum-competition tour of England, where they were based in London's Newham Sports Academy and trained under British Olympic gold medallist Tessa Sanderson.

On the domestic front, AFI held five Indian Grand Prix events with Rs 15 lakh earmarked as prize money for the winners. Sprinters Abdul Najeeb Qureshi and Manjunath Jyothi won three gold medals in men's and women's 100m while Krishna Poonia won most of the time in women's shot put.

Due to reasons best known to AFI, national level meets mentioned in the calendar were not held. The Senior National Federation Cup for men and women scheduled to be held in June in Chennai was first postponed and then nothing was heard about its fate later. The AFI cited technical reasons but the federation, not known for transparency, would not give any specific reasons.

Similar was the case of National Throws and National Endurance Meets. The two events scheduled in September in New Delhi and Jamshedpur respectively were not held this year. A South Asian Junior event to be held in Chennai was also postponed this month apparently due to pullouts by a few countries even after Maldives contingent had arrived at the southern city.

The organisers -- Tamil Nadu Athletics Association -- had no clue of the decision taken at AFI Headquarters in New Delhi. The year was also marked by the death of AFI President Sardar Umrao Singh after a brief illness.

Umrao, a Padma Bhushan recipient for his role in India's successful hosting of 1982 Asian Games, had been a father figure in national athletics scene. He was the founder of Athletics Association of Asia (AAA) and a council member of the International Amateur Athletics Federation.

The country also got its man at the top post of AAA with Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi becoming the head of the Asian body at its annual congress in November. But towards the close of the year, athletics competed with wrestling to be the second filthiest sport after weightlifting.

Four athletes, who were training at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala as part of the core group of 2010 Commonwealth Games, were caught for using banned substances in the tests conducted by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA).