Fastest, highest, dopiest?

The glimmer of hope that Indian athletes may have put their sorry past behind them in terms of performance has been all but extinguished by ...

The glimmer of hope that Indian athletes may have put their sorry past behind them in terms of performance has been all but extinguished by the latest scandal to hit the scene: 22 athletes who had participated in the National Games held at Hyderabad have tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

What does this say about individual athletes? More important, what does it say about the sports system in this country? That a cynical bid for getting medals at all costs has doused the very spirit of sport? That it doesn8217;t matter what you do as long as you don8217;t get caught?

How deep the rot is gets clearer when the experts speak. One senior official of the Indian Olympic Association told the Sunday Express that almost all our athletes use banned drugs. Do not, however, conclude from this that it8217;s only individuals, in their single-minded quest for greater glory, who resort to such blatant misdemeanours.

As Milkha Singh, with characteristic bluntness, pointed out, no athlete can take banned drugs without the help of coaches, doctors, officials. This is not difficult to believe since everybody has a stake in athletes doing well. That8217;s why it has been suggested that when athletes are exposed for such wrong-doing, it8217;s not just they who should face exemplary punishment but their minders as well. But how often does this happen? While many athletes have faced public disgrace and been stripped of their medals, how many of their coaches were made to pay for this? It speaks volumes for the laxity of the system that accountability of this kind is never enforced.

In fact, nobody takes responsibility when a scandal erupts. Not the state level federations, not the national federations, not the Indian Olympic Committee.

As for the athletes in question, they plead that they are innocent and often get away with doing so. This combination of passing-the-buck and an impotent corrective regime could end any hope of Indian sport ever making it in the international arena. But does anyone care?