The answer to the question as to why the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) are concerned by doping is because the substance abuse violates the basic tenets of the philosophy of sport.
XXI Commonwealth Games 2018, Gold Coast gold medalist in 125 kg category, Sumit Malik’s hopes of Olympics are over, as he was on Friday, banned— for testing positive for prohibited substance Methlhexaneaneanine (stimulant)— for two years by United World Wrestling (UWW) after his B samples also returned positive for the prohibited stimulant. Now Malik has one crucial week to decide if he would accept the sanction or open himself up to the challenge.
Shooter Sharvan Kumar of Uttar Pradesh and women boxer Neeraj Phogat (57kg) of Haryana, who were aiming for the forthcoming Tokyo Olympic Games, have also been suspended after failing a dope test.
Even the abroad universities carry out regular dope testing. However, Indian universities do not carry out the test.
The WADA recently approved a modern method of screening that is the dried blood spot (DBS) test. This modern testing technique will eventually strengthen WADA`s capacity to crack and track down the menace of doping effectively.
Dr. Jawarlal Jain, former Medical Administrator, University of Delhi, said, “The Olympic Games are competitions between elite athletes, not between medical scientists and pharmacologists.” Jain, who is also a WHD fellow in sports Medicine, believes that doping makes the games unfair.
Former Director of Dope Laboratory, Ministry of Sports, Dr. Shila Jain once said, “Doping poses threat to the health of young athletes” and that the menace is to be fought on the “modern lines”.
Indian High Jumper, Tejaswin Shahakar, who won the silver medal at the American-National Collegiate Athletic Association Track and Field Championship feels, “If many athletes are testing positive, it is a threat to sport, and hence everyone should be tested regularly.”
The substances and methods that are banned by most national and international sporting associations are based on the recommendations of the WADA and IOC. Significantly, sports mentors and athletes check with their sports counsel to confirm any variance to the WADA or IOC medical code.
The writer is a former Associate professor, DU, and a consultant at Limca Book of Records.
