‘Athletes don’t know what they are being given’

Doping has existed in India right since the 1982 Asian Games. But it was with the emergence of the so-called technical experts from abroad, particularly from Russia and Ukraine, that the use of performance-enhancing drugs became widespread among Indians. In most cases, even the athletes don’t know what drugs they are injected with. I still remember a heptathlate, who approached a top SAI official, seeking his help in procuring a banned medicine. The drug was prescribed by a foreign technical expert for ‘‘recovery’’. Though the official brought the incident to the attention of the authorities, no action followed.

ON DOPE TESTING FACILITIES IN INDIA

The facilities in SAI’s laboratory are full of loopholes. It is said that even lower-level lab employees can manipulate test results. I would suggest the establishment of a Dope Control Commission, in the tradition of foreign countries. This commission should be independent of SAI and the Amateur Athletic Federation of India, and should come under the Central government.

THE EFFECTS OF DOPING

It is a pity that even poor athletes fall easy prey to doping experiments. In my experience, a majority of these girls are not aware of the deadly side-effects of doping, such as depression, masculinisation, increased aggressiveness, mood swi-ngs, abnormal menstrual cycles, excessive facial hair growth and deepening of voice.