Doping exposés put event bids, Indian athletics in jeopardy
While India has started the bidding process for two major events—the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympics—the string of doping cases recently unearthed in athletics can dampen the chances of clinching the hosting rights.
From a bunch of minors testing positive to leading the World Anti-Doping Agency's numbers, the doping saga could not be more embarrassing. It can hardly get worse for the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), with two shocking news pieces in a week.
One athlete has tested positive for a banned substance during an exposure trip abroad—at tests conducted by the US anti-doping agency and had to be flown back. The next was the provisional suspension of a national coach who is also a Dronacharya awardee.
For the first time, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has provisionally suspended a junior chief national coach, Ramesh Nagpuri, for complicity, which is prohibited under NADA'S rule 2.9. Athletics is one of the most tainted sports in the country, with a coach already banned for four years for administering a prohibited substance to a minor athlete. The AFI announced last year that coaches of tainted athletes would be penalised, too. But it was NADA that imposed such a sanction.
In the latest NADA list of those provisionally suspended, there are three coaches. One coach has been suspended for an even more serious violation—administration of a prohibited substance. Two of three are athletics coaches. Both the Sports Authority and AFI must take these offences seriously.
What should be a bigger concern is that one is a national coach for junior athletes, who may not know much about doping and its adverse consequences at such a young age. If a coach aids or abets doping, it is indeed a serious offence.
All this indicates that the rot runs deep in India and the provisional suspensions could be the tip of an iceberg. NADA has been doing commendable job in testing top athletes from all disciplines and acting as a deterrent. As for the AFI, it must act fast as its reputation is at stake. Its new policy of decentralising national camps, too, has come under the scanner. The federation must swiftly come out from this mess.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
Shooting World Cup: Samra wins bronze
Munich: Indian shooting sensation Sift Kaur Samra added yet another accolade to her growing list of international achievements, securing a bronze medal in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions event at the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup (rifle/pistol) here on Thursday. Competing in a strong international field, the 23-year-old from Faridkot, Punjab, scored 453.1 in the final to finish third, reaffirming her place among the elite rifle shooters in the world. The gold went to Norway's Jeanette Hegg Duestad, who shot a sensational 466.9 in the final, while Switzerland's Emely Jaeggi won silver with 464.8. Interestingly, Jaeggi, who initially placed ninth in the qualification round with a score of 590, only made it to the final after two shooters above her were declared ineligible for medals due to their 'ranking points only' (RPO) status. Samra, meanwhile, had a solid outing in the qualifying rounds, finishing second with an aggregate of 592 across the three positions – kneeling, prone, and standing. She was tied on the score with France's Agathe Cecile Camille Girard, who topped the chart by virtue of more inner 10s (Xs). Switzerland's Audrey Gogniat followed them in third place, heading into the final. This bronze adds to what has been a remarkable year for Samra so far. She began the 2025 season with a gold medal at the ISSF World Cup in Buenos Aires, a vital boost after a challenging 2024 Paris Olympics, where she had a below-par outing. Already a history-maker, Samra still holds the world record in women's 50m rifle 3 positions – a stunning 469.6 – which she set during her gold-medal winning performance at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Sauce Gardner eyes Olympic gold as Jets negotiate extension: Can flag football redefine his NFL legacy?
Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner is making headlines not just for locking down wide receivers, but for his Olympic dreams and his commitment to long-term success—on and off the field. While contract talks with the New York Jets quietly move behind the scenes, Gardner is choosing action over protest. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The All-Pro cornerback is showing up, putting in the work at training camp, and making it clear, he's here to lead. No holdout, no drama — just leadership Entering Year 3 of his rookie deal, Sauce Gardner is eligible for a fifth-year option that could extend through 2026. But insiders expect the Jets to soon offer a record-setting extension that could make him the highest-paid cornerback in the league. Rather than push publicly, Gardner is leading by example. 'I just wanted to show my teammates, my coaches how much I want to win,' he said via The Athletic. 'I want to be part of change in the organization.' Veteran coach Steve Wilks has been challenging Gardner to refine his game and step into greatness—focusing on ball skills, footwork, and next-level anticipation. Gardner has responded with extra reps, film study, and a relentless drive to improve. Jets' Olympic pitch sets social media abuzz This week, Gardner's ambitions went global. On Thursday, the Jets' official X account tagged Team USA with a bold suggestion: 'Hey @USNFT, we got a guy for you for the '28 Olympics.' The post included a video of Gardner embracing the idea of representing the United States. 'I like it. I definitely will be interested in it, you know, being able to, you know, play for my country. You know, I think it's a big deal because every time it's the Olympics, I'm always watching, I'm always tuned in,' he said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Also read: Whether it's making history with the Jets or chasing Olympic gold in flag football at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, Gardner is thinking bigger than contracts. He's playing for legacy, pride, and something far beyond the scoreboard.
NDTV
6 hours ago
- NDTV
Australian Olympic Equestrian Heath Ryan Suspended Over Horse-Whipping Video
Olympian Heath Ryan has been suspended by an "extremely alarmed" Equestrian Australia after a video showed him whipping a horse more than 40 times. The 66-year-old, who represented Australia in dressage at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, said in a statement he had been acting in the animal's "best interests". The video, originally shared to US-based Facebook account Dressage Hub, showed him striking the stallion repeatedly with a narrator saying the horse was "traumatised in every state". Equestrian Australia said it was "extremely alarmed and concerned". "Equestrian Australia has imposed a provisional suspension of this person's membership of Equestrian Australia and their rights, privileges and benefits associated with their membership," it added. The ban will remain in place pending an investigation by its integrity unit. Ryan, a former three-time Australian three-day event champion, defended his actions, saying it had been a "life or death moment" for the horse, named Nico. He said the six-year-old had always been a "problem child" and was destined for the knackery after an incident with a family friend that left her in intensive care. "I felt obliged to the horse to just have a look and see if it was possibly salvageable," he said. "That video was a life or death moment for Nico and I genuinely had to try my very hardest to see if Nico would consider other options. "All of this transpired sincerely with the horse's best interests the sole consideration. Unbelievably, it was so successful for everyone except me with the release of this video." He claimed the video was two years old and posted by a disgruntled ex-employee, with Nico now thriving in a new home. Three-time Olympic dressage gold medallist Charlotte Dujardin missed the Paris Games last year following a different horse-whipping controversy. The British rider was banned just days before the start of the Olympics after a video emerged showing her repeatedly striking a horse on its legs. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
