"So Stupid": On India Star Javelin Thrower Failing Dope Test, Former Coach Says This

NDTV

21-05-2025

He may not have coached him as closely as Neeraj Chopra but Shivpal Singh's second doping offence has infuriated celebrated German bio-mechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz, who cannot make sense of the Olympian's "stupid" conduct while claiming to be a proud representative of India. Bartonietz lambasted Shivpal for "cheating" despite coming from a proud sporting family. The German bio-mechanics expert, who guided Chopra to a historic gold at the Tokyo Olympics and a silver at the Paris Games, didn't hide his anger as he lambasted Shivpal for a second doping offence that could lead to an eight-year ban.
"Disappointed? I don't know. But I'm really pissed off. So stupid," Bartonietz told PTI in an interview on Wednesday.
"It shows that you don't trust in this process. All those who are doping don't trust that they can reach the top by normal nature of training," he added.
The 29-year-old Shivpal, who also competed at the Tokyo Olympics, tested positive for a banned substance in an out-of-competition test earlier this year.
"It makes me so angry that they are promoting javelin throw everywhere and coming from a family of javelin throwers and then doing these things," Bartonietz said referring to the Varanasi-based Shivpal's sporting family in which his father, two uncles and younger brother have been javelin throwers.
"This is like cheating. And carrying the Indian flag proudly, saying Jai Hind, by cheating. I have no word for this. (But) the good thing about the Shivpal story is that, he got caught. So, the system is working." Currently associated with the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) as a consultant, Bartonietz is conducting throwing sessions at the IIS campus in Hisar in a five-day workshop, which will conclude on Thursday.
Bartonietz, who had briefly worked with Shivpal during his early days in India and also before the Tokyo Games, said he was brought in to assist the then head coach Uwe Hohn in handling a large group of 17 athletes.
"When I came to India, I was like assistant coach to Uwe Hohn because we had 17 athletes and he could not handle it (so many athletes).
"There was Neeraj, Annu (Rani) and Shivpal, they were at the top and he was travelling around them. At the same time, no one was coaching them. It was my job to come and to coach them. So Shivpal was with Uwe, but sometimes we worked together," he recalled.
"After Neeraj's surgery, I started to work with Neeraj and coach Uwe was then fully responsible for Shivpal, Annu and the others. Even if you're not a personal coach directly for him...You trusted actually, and you think he trusts you. It means (doping), he didn't trust you anyway." He also cited disciplinary issues during their brief stint together.
"So, even when he (Shivpal) did not come for training four times after he had an evening where he was no more able to train the next day." The German expert expressed deep frustration over the mentality driving athletes towards doping.
"I had a Kazakh high jumper come to me in Germany and said how can you expect me to be dope free when all the others do it? This is a wrong mindset that these young people have," he said.