India: Doping in Schools

[Zam_Olyas]

Meanwhile in India,

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-...e-buck-nip-it-in-the-bud/Article1-799111.aspx

Doping in school sports? Had it not been for the spate of positive cases during the National School Games, no one would have noticed it. The malady, which plagued senior athletes, has today become an issue in schools and the time has come to take stern measures. This is worse than cheating in exams.
As if the dope scandal involving the nation's top women quarter-milers wasn't enough to shame the nation, school children, our future medal hopes, too have returned positive.

Even more disturbing is that another eight children, three in weightlifting and five in boxing, tested positive on Thursday for hardcore steroids and stimulants. The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), for now, has tested sportspersons in just three disciplines. If the future of the nation is indulging in such unlawful activities, what can we expect in the coming years?

But, are only the children to be blamed? Perhaps not. What about the coaches? What about the system in which they train? Or do we have a system at all?

Losing ground

The School Games, like the inter-varsity Games, has lost its aura. It's badly organised and is haunted by age fudging and cheating. The only way to fix the doping menace, perhaps, is by taking exemplary action against the cheats and their coaches.

Tainted athletes should not be part of any national federation or Sports Authority of India programme, at least while they are serving the ban. Schools too must start educating students on anti-doping. If not, the malaise will spread like a virus.

The authorities, like a top School Games Federation official, might say they took the drugs inadvertently. But one cannot test positive for such advanced diuretics, such as furosemide (used in heart failure), or steroids (stanozolol and nadrolone) used for muscle building, by mistake. The players have also tested positive for methylhexaneamine, the substance country's top athletes like Ashwini Akkunji, Mandeep Kaur and others took last year.

Disturbing trend

The worrying part is the disciplines in which the athletes have tested positive — weightlifting (3 out of 20), boxing (5/30) and wrestling (3/30). These are the disciplines in which India have won Olympic medals. Out of 80 samples, 11 tested positive — 14 per cent, which is higher than the national average of four. And, not to forget the states the boys come from. While the tainted wrestlers hail from Punjab, UP and Maharashtra, the lifters belong to Punjab and Delhi and the boxers from Punjab, Manipur and Maharashtra.

THE MOTIVE

It's not difficult to understand why doping has become so rampant at the school level. Not the best participate in School Games. Most of the athletes, who do well in junior nationals, become a part of the national programme or join national camps. Until now, NADA kept itself away from the School Games. And, budding athletes kept flouting the anti-doping code to win medals and secure seats in good colleges, or even find jobs in PSUs later.

It's a gamble, which used to pay off till now. Not anymore

 

[LaFlorecita]

What the FVCK?!

 

[Benotti69]

Not surprising. the pressure to win increases as it means the schools will attract money and prestige. The athletes gain prestige and money. Modern society can be disgusting.

 

[Cloxxki]

Isn't the main difference here that India does in fact now test school children? Which other countries do that?
Easy to presume young athletes clean, and only start testing when they've "made it" to the big league.

Perhaps minors should be banned until after they become adults, to give them time to reconsider their future, and focus on the school part of school sports.

 

[spetsa]

Isn't the main difference here that India does in fact now test school children? Which other countries do that?
Easy to presume young athletes clean, and only start testing when they've "made it" to the big league.

Perhaps minors should be banned until after they become adults, to give them time to reconsider their future, and focus on the school part of school sports.

In the US, three states (at least), Illinois, New Jersey and Texas have programs in place to randomly test any student athlete that participates in High School sports. Due to the cost involved, it is currently limited to only those teams in the post season tournaments. These rules were mandated by the state legislatures and not just the school system. It is a start. pretty sad that it is neccessary, but it is a start.

 

[doolols]

Not surprising. the pressure to win increases as it means the schools will attract money and prestige. The athletes gain prestige and money. Modern society can be disgusting.

I can hardly believe this story. But then, maybe I can. Horrendous.

 

[Cloxxki]

I can hardly believe this story. But then, maybe I can. Horrendous.

Big athletes get cheerleaders. Much greater motive.

 

[Polish]

Kids under 21 should NOT be allowed to drink, smoke anything, or use PEDs.
Or get married or divorced for that matter. They are just KIDS for crying out loud!

"But they see adult sport stars, their heros, smoking and drinking and divorcing and using PEDs"

BFD - still should NOT be tolerated. They are kids! Ground them.
Take away their XBOX and smartphones. Crack the whip.

Whatever it takes.

 

[lukinox]

Kids under 21 should NOT be allowed to drink, smoke anything, or use PEDs.
Or get married or divorced for that matter. They are just KIDS for crying out loud!

"But they see adult sport stars, their heros, smoking and drinking and divorcing and using PEDs"

BFD - still should NOT be tolerated. They are kids! Ground them.
Take away their XBOX and smartphones. Crack the whip.

Whatever it takes.

Are you kidding there Polish?
Prohibiting most often than not leads to the reverse effect, especially if you're talking about teenagers. The real answer is education, you have to make people understand why is wrong to do something, they should teach them the true value of sportsmanship and the satisfaction that can bring.
Unfortunately in the case of India the economical aspect is very important, with most population living in poverty, winning in sport is seen as a way to a better quality of life, as a way to get out of poverty, therefore leading the young athlete, and his school, to seek victory with any means necessary so to secure the funding they very much need to keep going. I have to say that, sadly, I can't really blame them.

 

[rickshaw]

You want an incentive?????

In the US, three states (at least), Illinois, New Jersey and Texas have programs in place to randomly test any student athlete that participates in High School sports. Due to the cost involved, it is currently limited to only those teams in the post season tournaments. These rules were mandated by the state legislatures and not just the school system. It is a start. pretty sad that it is neccessary, but it is a start.

Just check out the sports section of any US newspaper (which is sometimes bigger than the hard news section). Prince Fiedler of Milwaukee just got $214,000,000.00 for a 9 year contract with Detroit. Not saying he dopes, but just look at the PRIZE for success! People kill for a lot less$$.

 

[doolols]

$214,000,000.00 for a 9 year contract

$23 milion a year???? That's completely mad. As you so rightly say, the HUGE rewards are worth the risk to some people.