I often come across this statement: Todays harmless supplement can be tomorrows banned substance!! ..as long as the CURRENT drug testing procedure cant detect the stuff you had/have in your gut, you are OK! Its sad but If you want to excel in sports, may be we need 3Ds: Dedication, Discipline, ..and DRUGS!! For every win, there is an asterisk associated with it. Such is the state of these CLEAN sports now!! Having said that, what India needs is sound ethical drug testing methods/protocols so that these athletes can be checked randomly - any day, any time, any where. Of course, not to forget in educating these athletes and their coaches about the performance-enhancement drugs, and more importantly, Ethics in Sports!! Btw, didnt we read this before In the Olympic Games, what matters most is to share the common vision of promoting peace and friendship among all the people of the world, through the NOBLE COMPETITION in sport. Yeah! right!! Noble competition! Tell me about it!!
Mere sacking will not do,the Dronacharya award conferred on the Indian coach should be confiscated. Besides,all the officials who only went for sightseeing at public expense should be removed forthwith and asked to return all the amount drawn from the Govt.by way of TA and DA.
If you have to sack someone then sack Kalmadi first, then IOA sports officials, who are there for so looooong without any individual gold medal, China won just five in 84, now tops the list. Shame on you, IOA. Shame on you Sports Minister.
Our weight lifting girls are small babies and they were admisnistered only multivitamin injection by the coaches is that what they want us to beleive now that the coaches are sacked . They just gave in their hands to be jabbed . I BELEIVE THEM POOR GIRLS AT LEAST THEY VISITED ATHENS AT THE COST OF INDIA
So the question is: Performance-enhancement for what??? To prove one [person/nation] can do better than other!! Just for a medal and the associated-glory!! Glory for the Indian coach so that he/she can keep the job for some more years!! Glory for this foreign coach who can get extension and rich contracts! and of course for this so-called glorified Athlete, provided he/she is not detected for the foul play at the specified event!! For example, what was happening in the infamous East Germany Sports [80s], before they were caught and was labeled as Drug-infested Sports Nation!! Who will forget the Tour de France [especially 1998 scandal] where most of these participants were caught for drugs!! And the infamous Ben Johnsons steroid-friendly 100 meters circus! Now, look at the Greek Athletes [Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou] who brought shame to their home country in this Olympics!! How about this on-going fiasco of Drugs and US Track and Field Athletes [Courtesy: Balco], including Marion Jones!! !
I am very happy to see these Coaches getting the axe, but its sad to see Indian athletes caught for doping. Let us give a benefit of doubt to Pratima et al. No doubt, The Athlete should know better but its high time we look into these coaches integrity who monitor an athletes daily routines that might have included even [dietary?] supplements!! Were these injections Pratima took are really pain-killers for her back problems?? Who administered them [are these certified doctors? or were they referred by Indian doctors under Indian sports authorities?], AND under whose [Indian or Foreign Coach] watchful eyes?? How many of these athletes know what is going into their gut day-in and day-out, especially if these supplements are suggested/authorized by their Indian and/or foreign coaches!! And how many of our athletes/coaches have sound knowledge of supplements, and how many of these are abreast of the latest banned substances, so-called performance-enhancement drugs!!! How many of these coaches are certified [if there is any] by IOC or for that matter, any organized body!!! Is it true that Malleswari ended up with a Bronze medal at Sydney because of her coachs tactical mistake?
