High on the fast track

For, in the world of Indian sports, if rampant doping is a reality, so is the fact that there are few checks and balances to curb it. Even as doping tightens a vice-like grip on sports, the Indian Olympic Committee and the national federations mainly affected by it — athletics and weightlifting — are busier either passing the buck on to ‘‘greedy’’ athletes or playing blame game with the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) dope testing lab.

Meanwhile, even as Indian sportspersons struggle to make an impression even in the Asian arena, they are increasingly figuring on the doping radar worldwide. A couple of years ago, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) put India on the blacklist, sending its dreaded ‘flying squads’ to conduct raids on Indian athletes and collect samples at random. Milkha Singh, considered by many as India’s greatest athlete ever, says: ‘‘I have been saying for more than 10 years that doping has penetrated Indian sports but nobody paid attention to my warning.’’

The first doping scandal in Indian sports was recorded in weightlifting. In 1986, three Indian lifters tested positive at the Asian Games and were banned for two years by the international body. Today, drugs are threatening the edifice of the game — which has produced India’s only woman medalist at the Olympics, Karnam Malleshwari — in the country. In the past couple of years, nine Indian weightlifters have been caught doping in international competitions such as the Asian Games, Asian Championship, World Championship and Juniors Championship.

Those who have witnessed the heyday of Indian weightlifting, like former national selector Wing Commander P.K. Mahanand, say the menace grew as no action has been taken since 1986. ‘‘What prevented the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and Weightlifting Federation of India (WFI) from acting?’’ Mahanand asks. ‘‘They have been sleeping over the issue and that is why today it is rampant.’’

Nandrolone was what athlete Sunita Rani was also accused of taking at the 2002 Asian Games. However, she was later cleared by the Sushil Salwan Committee — the first-ever inquiry held in the country on doping in sports. But even Salwan admits: ‘‘The case of 22 athletes in Hyderabad is proof of the fact that the system in the country is too weak to fight doping…We just wait to collect urine samples during competitions and wait for the report without keeping an eye on sportspersons for the rest of the year or before.’’

As Mahanand points out, the sportspersons caught doping since 1986 have been let off with a warning or light punishment, hardly holding them accountable for bringing disgrace to the country. ‘‘A leading woman weightlifter in the ’90s tested positive for doping at the world championship but was later recommended for the post of national coach. What kind of signal do you expect to send with such an attitude,’’ a former selector points out. Woman weightlifter Sanamacha Chanu tested positive for steroids in the 1994 World Championship but her ban was reduced to one year.

However, if athletes got away with light punishments, their coaches, doctors and federations — who stand to also gain from the success of a sportsperson — were never held to account. The same is true even in the case of Lakshman — while he got a life ban, his coach has been spared.

This is quite contrary to international rule. A landmark declaration on anti-doping signed at Lausanne (Switzerland) in 1999 by the IOC recommended that ‘‘more severe sanction should apply to coaches, officials and doctors guilty of violation of the Olympic movement’s anti-doping code’’.

Yet, after nine cases of drug abuses by Indian weightlifters at international competitions and more than 100 instances at the national level, no coach has been punished so far. Pal Singh Sandhu, who was the weightlifting coach in both the 1986 and 1990 Commonwealth Games where lifter Subroto Pal tested positive, carried on in the post and is still the national coach.

Balbir Singh Bhatia, one of the ad hoc committee members of the Weightlifting Federation of India (WFI), says his committee is helpless since the coach was appointed by the Ministry of Sports and SAI. Bhatia admits: ‘‘We are losing credibility with so many of our lifters being caught for doping but we can’t do anything about the appointment of Sandhu.’’

The Salwan Committee also commented on the dubious role of the coaches. Salwan told The Sunday Express how, during his investigation, both national coach Bahadur Singh and Sunita’s personal coach Renu Kohli told him they had never heard of nandrolone, which was found in the athlete’s urine samples. ‘‘As coaches, at least they ought to be aware of the names of banned drugs, otherwise how will they ensure that

the athlete stays away from these. But their purpose was to wash their hands of Sunita Rani and they had no hesitation in lying to the commission,’’ says Salwan.

Another reason why Indian sports is losing its fight against drugs is because the Arjuna Award, which carry lucrative cash reward, does not take cognisance of drug-offenders. For example, an Arjuna award winner gets Rs. 3 lakh from the Sports Ministry. But, as Bhatia says, this prestigious award should not be given to those athletes, who had earlier been caught for doping and served a suspension. He points out, ‘‘Bharti Singh, Tara Singh and Neelam Lakshmi tested positive but they were still given the Arjuna. Is that the right thing to do?’’

The opinion within the IOA itself is sharply divided with some leading officials opposing the move to disallow the Arjuna to dope offenders. This lobby is led by some very powerful officials, one of them who said that ‘‘If Phoolan Devi could become a MP despite being a bandit earlier, why should there be any law to stop an athlete from getting the Arjuna award after serving a suspension for doping.’’

Many also feel that the race to win at any cost has been triggered by the rich incentives in sports today. The Andhra Pradesh government announced unprecedented hikes in prize money for the National Games and it could be one of the reasons why performance-enhancing drugs are becoming popular. Such trend, Chandran says, will abet doping. He said, ‘‘Where else is the chance for a national-level athlete to earn Rs 20 lakh in a single race.’’ Salwan however feels that the monetary problem for sportspersons starts because their federations do not look after them well. ‘‘The athlete is isolated as far as looking after their performance is concerned. As result, they want to win by hook or by crook.’’

The education of sportspersons on drugs and anti-doping activity exists only on paper. IOA secretary-general Randhir Singh says there is no separate budget for anti-doping activities. Though creating awareness amongst athletes through conducting workshops and other programmes is mentioned as one of the prime duties of the national olympic committees by the world’s highest body on anti-doping — WADA. ‘‘We hardly have any budget for anti-doping activities in weightlifting,’’ said Bhatia.

However, Randhir Singh defends the IOA’s role saying that it is not a helpless body in the fight against dope. ‘We are the ones pushing the government and SAI to get the laboratory accredited by the IOC.’’ As far as the Hyderabad episode is concerned, the IOA will hold a meeting later this month to take a tough stand on offenders. ‘‘I think only fear can compel sportspersons to avoid taking banned substances,’’ said Randhir. Chandran, however, feels that only by creating more awareness amongst the sportspersons — of the harm that banned drugs can cause to health — can the menace be checked.

Meanwhile, the WFI has requested SAI to conduct a more comprehensive dope tests in the coaching camp. ‘‘We have asked them to conduct tests on even those who are not selected during trials so that we can keep an eye on everyone,’’ said Bhatia. The sports ministry is putting one of the conditions that sportspersons testing positive for drugs will not be considered for the Arjuna awards.

Besides, some prominent Indian officials today occupy prestigious posts in world bodies. IOA president Suresh Kalmadi is the president of the Athletic Association of Asia while Randhir Singh, besides being a member of the IOC, is also on the board of the WADA Foundation. It still does not explain why Indian sports is losing the battle against drugs.