A
whopping number of 176 athletes were banned by the National Anti Doping Agency
in 2012. That number has steadily decreased thanks to stringent measures
adopted by the agencies.
In 2016, 72 athletes were under the scanner for doping-related
offenses. 56 out of those however carried over violations committed last year.
Track and field athletes (266) and weightlifters (169) are the key
contributors to these numbers.
The recent problems faced by Narsingh Yadav and Inderjeet
Singh has brought the issue of doping back into the spotlight.
The verdict in the Narsingh Yadav doping case is expected to
be out either on Saturday or Monday. Both sides have presented their cases at
the hearing in the last 48 hours. The Mumbai-based wrestler may not make it to
Rio even if the concerned agencies give him a clean chit. Meanwhile, the chief
of anti-doping
agency Navin Agarwal has rubbished allegations by shot
putter Inderjeet Singh of sample tampering. Singh, 28, had charged
that his samples were tampered with.
Speaking on the issue, former NADA chief Mukul Chatterjee said, “Emphasis
must be on smart testing of athletes and preparing their biological passports
to keep track. The whereabouts clause should be strictly followed and emphasis
should be given to out-of-competition tests. There's still a need to make the
athletes aware of the evils of doping. Parents and coaches must be made aware
of the menace. That can help in checking use of banned substances.”
Considering the fact India in 2014 was only behind Russia and
Italy in the doping offenders’ list, the government and authorities need to
step in to prevent any more damage.
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