The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has requested the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) to send their teams across the country to collect more samples from the state and junior meets. They want to tackle the menace of doping more effectively.
The AFI president Adille Sumariwalla said in the two-day AFI Annual General Body Meeting on Saturday, that they need to send teams across the country in state meets.
“I had a meeting with the NADA (officials) yesterday. We wanted them to send (dope collectors) to state meets. We told NADA that we will let them know about the state meets (to be monitored) and they have to send teams across the country,” Sumariwalla said after the meeting as per PTI.
“India’s reputation at stake”: AFI
Sumariwalla who is also the vice-president and executive board member of the World Athletics said that it is important to pay for these tests as India’s reputation is at stake.
“Two things can happen — either the athletes will get scared or if you keep doing testing and catch a few, they (dope offenders) will know they can’t do that (doping) in state meets also.” Sumariwalla said, “It is not important who will pay for the tests. At the end of the day, it is India’s reputation at stake.
AFI is also concerned that this problem will later affect the athletes in world events like the Olympics.
“If we continue this, we will have a problem with the world environment. We need to do this if we have to bid for the Olympics, we have to resolve this.
Sumariwalla said that 99 per cent of the athletes knew the substances they had taken.
“Everybody knew what they were taking – 99 per cent know what they are taking. It’s not that they don’t know.
“(We) tried with full force, done testing. We have conducted 75 education programmes, and distributed 20000 booklets. We have three days of seminars during the NIDJAM (National Inter-District Junior Athletics Meet). In every national championship, we talk about it,” he concluded.
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