In June 2023, Sportstar reported that India had the second highest number of anti-doping rule violations in the world, with 59 cases, second only to Russia, which had 135 cases. This statistic came as a shock to the sports community because, although India had always been included in the top 7 countries with the most doping cases, they never thought that the country would jump to the second spot.
This statistic underscored the prevalence of doping-related concerns within the Indian athlete community, though it largely went unnoticed when the report was released.
However, the landscape has since shifted, and not for the better.
The Delhi State Athletics Meet, which took place from September 23 to 26, aimed to nurture a new generation of top-tier athletes poised to bring honor to India on the global stage. Instead, it has once again implicated India in doping allegations.
An online video emerged, recorded in the stadium’s restroom, revealing an abundance of used syringes and packages of Erythropoietin, a performance-enhancing substance.
The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) emerged at the meeting to test the athletes
This, in turn, led half of the participants to flee and not show up in their respective competitions. According to reports, some didn’t even bother to claim their medals out of fear of being tested for doping.
In the 100 meter event, seven participants did not participate, stating that they suffered from ‘muscle strain’, leaving only Lalit Kumar to win the competition by default.
‘I was really looking forward to running against the best athletes, but nobody turned up. Everyone was scared of getting tested. As an athlete, I feel very hurt and let down,’ Kumar told the Indian Express.
Like the 100m event, the boys’ under-16 hammer throw was similarly underwhelming, with only one athlete on the field. And, in the women’s steeplechase, a girl reportedly ran even after she had crossed the finish line as anti-doping officials pursued her to collect her sample.
This incident was shared on Track Spice’s X account, where they had written a summary of what happened:
Indian athletes ran away after dope testers show up at Delhi State Athletics meet after a purported video clip of the washroom at the stadium showed piles of used syringes‼️ The number of participants fell by half as news spread that National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) had dropped…
— Track Spice 🌶️ (@trackspice) September 26, 2023
Following the publication of the distressing news, numerous individuals took to the comment sections to express their views on the matter.
“Damn they ain’t even trying to hide it”-@AnthonyBibbs19
Damn they ain’t even trying to hide it
— Anthony Bibbs (@AnthonyBibbs19) September 26, 2023
“I’m all for greater Indian involvement but surely they have a big enough population to compete naturally.”-@PauleeAnderson
I’m all for greater Indian involvement but surely they have a big enough population to compete naturally.
— Paul Anderson (@PauleeAnderson) September 27, 2023
“Any clean countries or athletes anywhere.?
No wonder records are tumbling.
Sporting drugs are now as profitable and as addictive as Narco.”-@Realvelo
Any clean countries or athletes anywhere.?
No wonder records are tumbling.
Sporting drugs are now as profitable and as addictive as Narco.— Real Velo 👀 (@Realvelo) September 27, 2023
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