MUMBAI: The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla said here on Monday that the doping menace is still troubling Indian athletics which is enjoying a purple patch. Talking about the positive dope test of discus thrower Navjeet Dhillon Kaur, Sumariwalla said AFI was educating athletes about doping and had increased testing multiple times.
"Before I became president, we used to test 120 samples a year. Today, we are testing over 1500 samples. If more people get tested, more people will get caught. Our idea is to catch more people. None of them (the dope offenders) were in the (national) camp (when they consumed a banned substance). Whatever has happened is outside the camp. In the camp, we test them every few days. Dhanalakshmi (the s printer, who failed a dope test this May) has admitted that when she went to Tamil Nadu, somebody gave her something. So we try to control it in the camp," Sumariwalla told reporters.
However, he asserted that AFI could do little if an athlete decided to cheat. "AFI can only do two things. Educate and test. But if you want to do something wrong, how can I stop you from cheating? It's a moral issue," he stressed. Sumariwalla pointed out that women in India's hinterland were still living a highly restricted life. He said that it was important that India's female athletes made a good amount of money and led a luxurious lifestyle, something that might inspire girls around the country to take up sports professionally.
"I have maybe visited some 100 districts in India personally. In many places, girls are not allowed to even go out of their houses. So we have to make the change," he said. "You need champions like Annu Rani, Hima Das or Dutee Chand. People say, 'Dutee Chand is driving a BMW (she sold it later), we should also be able to drive a BMW'. We want our athletes to do well. We want them to make money so that others see there's a future in sports," he stressed.
Sumariwalla also stuck to his guns that he indeed is the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). "I'm the president, that's all. There's nothing to discuss." When told there was a court order that status quo be maintained at the IOA, he shot back: "Show me the court order. There is no court order."
