New Delhi: The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) plans to set up an anti-doping cell and identify ‘hideouts’ for dope cheats, alarmed by the rising amount of positive cases among track and field athletes in the country.
Coaches would also have to mandatorily register on AFI’s portal to train athletes, the federation has decided acting on the recommendations of a top committee to tackle the menace of doping in the country.
The AFI will be in contact with the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), which runs under the aegis of World Athletics.
At its recent annual general body meeting (AGM) held in Chandigarh, the AFI decided that all coaches need to be registered or risk being blacklisted, in an attempt to prevent tutors suspected of encouraging athletes to dope.
“We will make this mandatory from this year. Whether qualified or unqualified, the coaches will have to register on AFI portal (just like the athletes do). If they don’t do that, they will not be allowed to coach their athletes to take part in our events,” an AFI official told PTI.
“Registration of coaches was one of the recommendations (of the committee) and we had already started it. But this will be made mandatory from this year onwards and the state units will have to be involved in this task.”
Earlier efforts to register coaches met with a mixed response as many were reluctant to enrol their names, forcing the AFI to make it mandatory as it hopes to have over 40,000 qualified coaches by 2036.
“Most of the doping in Indian athletics is because of the involvement of the coaches. So, we are making it mandatory for the coaches to register with the AFI. It can’t go on like this, else India may be suspended,” the official added.
Strong measures to curb doping
Through the anti-doping cell, the AFI hopes to to track down coaches and training centres suspected of indulging in doping.
“One of the recommendations of the high-powered committee is to prepare a list of suspected coaches and others involved in doping to know who and which coaches are promoting doping systematically,” AFI’s legal adviser Parth Goswami said.
“Another is to prepare a list of centres across India which serve as hideouts and where athletes are trained with the consumption of banned substances. There are many hideouts and centres to avoid out-of-competition tests,” he said.
“I believe this Anti-doping cell can do wonders. Most of doping cases are either for use of anabolic steroids or for drugs which are not easily available in the market. This shows intentional doping and the most likely involvement of coaches. So, it is necessary to implement the recommendations of the committee.”
Headed by Delhi Police Special Cell Commissioner Sagarpreet Hooda, the AFI had also formed a committee to recommend ways to tackle doping.
At its recent annual general body meeting (AGM) held in Chandigarh, the AFI decided that all coaches need to be registered or risk being blacklisted, in an attempt to prevent tutors suspected of encouraging athletes to dope. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
