Sports and Performance Enhancing Drugs (Doping)

[Mugundan]

P. T. Usha calls for stringent measures to ensure our athletes are dope-free going into Paris Olympics:
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/sport ... ing-600792
Tough task ahead of every agency and individual concerned to weed out the dopers before the Olympics.

[Kumar]

Mugundan, How many years or is it months before we become number 1?

[Mugundan]

Kumar, it would be tough to cross Russia! Number two for India looks adequate at the moment.
In the 2020 anti-doping rule violations (ADRV) report, India with 59 came second to Russia which had 135. The year 2020 was not exactly a fair yardstick to measure any country's standing since Covid-19 affected overall testing in many countries including India.
We are doing around 4500 tests a year at the moment. That itself might not be adequate to "help" us go past Russia!

[arjun2761]

My sense is that in Russia and China etc., the doping is aided by the state. In India and US etc., it is more based on individual efforts or facilitated by certain coaches etc.

[indiansportsfan]

So the Chinese state machinery has become an expert in how to avoid getting caught, but the Russians are still not there?

[prasen9]

Exactly. As have the U.S. experts in getting TUEs.

[arjun2761]

So the Chinese state machinery has become an expert in how to avoid getting caught, but the Russians are still not there?

Just speculation on my part. However, their top male swimmer (Sun Yang?) and several women swimmers previously did get caught and they haven't done well at the top level of swimming after that. I would not be surprised if the Chinese efforts are more sophisticated than that of the Russians now.

[prasen9]

Well, their lab got caught fudging results. Lab hides failed tests and they tried to cover up the swimming doping WADA, China, and swimmers

[Mugundan]

The Chinese of late seem to have slowed down on doping. Their track and field athletes are no longer the force they were in the 1990s. Post-Ma's Army, their women track dominance has been completely shattered. They did not win a medal in last Asian Games at home in women's 1500m, 5000m, 10,000m, once their undisputed domain. Overall, they were still very good, collecting 39 medals from athletics including 19 gold. I think they nearly swept the gold in women's in 1990 Asian Games at home.
Currently, there are 16 Chinese athletes in the World Athletics Registered Pool. Russia has 39, India 7 and Kenya more than 120!
India should be rated the best among Asian countries currently in athletics thanks to the abundance of spinach available at home!

[Mugundan]

A very promising talent in his younger days, Murali Gavit tests positive for EPO. It looks the end of the road for this 27-year-old
https://www.amarujala.com/sports/asian- ... 2024-04-03

[Mugundan]

Mugundan, How many years or is it months before we become number 1?

Your answer arrived early Kumar!
https://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sp ... 032353.ece
Now, we will have to wait for the anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) which will take another year to compile. These will be the final results of a doping case following adjudication.
In 2019 also we had topped the testing charts, but Russia eventually overtook us when it came to ADRVs. Russian total is enlarged by violations and suspensions elsewhere, say through an international federation or through a multi-discipline games. Then there will always be question about Olympic retesting. Russians turn in positive results by the dozen in re-testing.

[indiansportsfan]

Yay!! Finally we are #1

On a serious note, I think Sumariwalla should be sacked as the athletics federation head. Under his watch, things are becoming worse and he seems to be turning a blind eye to this.

[indiansportsfan]

Looks like a French meet banned Indian entry due to the high number of doping cases from India https://sportstar.thehindu.com/athletic ... 045975.ece

I hope other competitions follow suit, that's the only way AFI and IOA will be forced to take strict measures against doping. It is quite sad that even having PT Usha as the IOA head is not having any impact in controlling this menace. But maybe she is only a politician now.

[prasen9]

Collective punishment is not right. The right solution would be to test them. Sumariwala is classic. He says he does not know anything about these things.

[Mugundan]

More doping cases come up. Alarming trend among minors. Those responsible should be brought to book. Coaches, support personnel and parents should be held accountable and if need be, sent to jail.
https://revsportz.in/four-more-cases-of ... -in-india/