Doping a curse in sports.

On 8th July 1998, Willy Voet, a Belgian soigneur (team assistant) in his early fifties
working for a french professional cycling team named Festina, was travelling from
Belgium to France. On the Belgium-France border, his fate failed him. In over 30 years of
driving, this was the first time he was ever being stopped. Custom officials discovered
several hundred grams and capsules of anabolic steroids, Erythropoietin (EPO), syringes
and other doping products from his car. He is immediately taken into police custody and
within few hours his allegations of systematic doping in cycling teams were reported in
the media.
Three days later, Festina team, which was the top team in the world at that time, started
the tour de france and distanced itself from Voet. Police alleged systematic doping in the
Festina team and arrested its manager and doctor. French Police investigation found that
250 vials of EPO found in Poet's car were sourced from three labs in Germany and
Switzerland and were intended to be distributed among various cycling teams from Italy,
Spain and France participating in the 1998 tour de france. Police raided several team's
hotels and interogated multiple cyclists. Cyclists protested by halting mid way in a tour
stage stating they were treated like criminals by the police. Several teams quit the tour de
france in protest. This was an unprecedented blot on the tour de france and later became
infamously known as Festina affair.
Cycling was not new to this menance of doping. In 1960 Rome Olympics, Dutch cyclist
Knud Enemark Jensen after taking Roniacol before his race. Roniacol increase blood
circulation. During a tour de france stage in 1967, British cyclist Tom Simpson died of
heart failure. Doctors said he died because of dehydration and heat exhaustion and
amphetamine abuse contributed to his death. In 1980s and early 90s, many cyclists died
mysteriously during their sleep. EPO was the new magic drug which increased the
number of red blood cells which transports oxygen in the body and was not detectable in
drug tests. More RBCs meant better oxygen supply. Experts stated that these cyclists were
doping with EPO and EPO made their blood so thick that their heart was not able to pump
the blood and eventually lead to heart failure. Cyclists were so scared of their life that they
started keeping an alarm to wake up at midnight and workout for some time so that blood
becomes thin.
Cycling always faced doping suspicion but Festina scandal was an eye opener and
stunned the world over the extent of doping in the sport. This led to the genesis of WADA
World Anti Doping Agency in November 1999. Wada which receives its 50% funding
from International Olympic Committee and 50% from governments all over the world,
sets the anti doping framework which IOC and other sports federations follow.
The 1999 tour de france was dubbed a tour of renewal, a strict no to doping in cycling. But
the reality was a start of "most sophisticated, professionalised and successful" doping.
Lance Armstrong won seven consecutive tour de france titles from 1999 to 2005. He was

banned for life by US Anti Doping Agency, USADA, for doping violations in 2012.
Although nearly all the sports face doping problem, but few sports like cycling, athletics,
weightlifting and boxing are at greater risk. Doping positives ranging from Canadian
sprinter Ben Johnson to american runner Marion Jones to Kenyan marathon runner Rita
Jeptoo to american sprinter Tison Gay to Jamaican sprinters Asafa Powell and Sherone
Simpson, athletics have always faced the question from its fans whether what they are
seeing is real.
Recently, a German TV documentary alleged that there is a state funded
systematic doping programme in Russia like East Germany had in 1970s and 80s and
upto 99% of Russian olympic atheletes dope with the help of a corrupt network which
included athletes, coaches, doctors, russian anti-doping agency officials and as well as
officials of the world athletics body IAAF - International Association of Athletics
Federations.
In last two years alone, more than 30 Kenyans including high profile marathon runner Rita
Jeptoo have failed doping test signalling towards a possible wide-spread doping problem.
What make the problem even more grave is that Kenya neither have an anti-doping
agency and nor the financial budgets to test its athletes. IAAF can send its own officials in
Kenya to test the Kenyans but the financial cost is not sustainable. Athletes expect to be
tested during tournaments so to catch dopers, more and more sudden out of competition
test have to be conducted. But the budget available is too little of what is required to do a
satisfactory number of tests. Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) never carried any
blood test till 2013 and did only one out of competition test in five months leading up to
2012 London olympics. Kenya and Jamaica presented situations which are ideal for
dopers. There needs to be more stricter and consistent testing throughout the world,
where athletes in Africa and Asia are subjected to same standards that are followed in
Europe and US.
A very famous sports survey, known as the Goldman Dilemma, was conducted by Bob
Goldman in 1980s where he asked elite athletes whether they would take a drug that
guaranteed them a gold medal but would also kill them within five years. More than half
said yes. The same survey was done on non-athletes in 2009 asking if they would take any
drug which would give them success but at the same time put their life in danger. Only 2
out of 250 people said yes. The Winning at all costmentality force athletes to cheat.
Dopers cheat their fans but the biggest casualty is clean athletes. Just imagine for a second
what must be going through a young clean athlete's mind when he discovers that he could
not live his dream because he was beaten by a cheat. People around him told him that he is
not talented enough and he himself believed the same. Just think for a second what must
be going in a parent's mind, will he/she ever want their child to be a sportsperson. I
remember listening to a BBC podcast where a former athlete fed up of doping problem in
sports said he would never want his son to take up athletics. The trust deficit is too much.

Doping also leads to other illegal activities like money laundering. A recent investigation
in Italy showed that Michele Ferrari, a doctor infamous for helping cyclists in doping, was
running a systematic doping network estimated to be worth 30 millions of euro with the
help of sports agents, lawyers and swiss bank official.
Although, the impact of doping on sportsmanship, social and health issues are widely
known but there are even more devastating effects of doping drought of sponsorship
and TV rights. Since I am most passionate about cycling, I know how doping damaged
cycling. Because of doping scandals, two major German broadcasters shunned cycling; TV
coverage is absolutely important for sponsors. Fed up of doping scandals, Rabobank
stopped sponsoring cycling after a long association of 17 years. Sponsors are smart, they
think ten times before associating with a sport where doping suspicions are common
place. They dont want to be seen aiding the cheaters.
No single sport, no single federation, no single country can tackle this menace. To curb
this, a global effort is warranted where multiple investigating agencies, sports federations
and countries collaborate together. If its not the case, then we will be fighting a losing
battle. No doubt we are a long way from winning this battle but I sincerely believe there is
a level playing field for clean athletes more than ever before.
NEW WADA CODE (In effect from 01 Jan 2015)
Punishment for first time doping offence has been increased to up to four years
from two years.
Athletes need to inform in advance their schedule so that testers can come any time
for an out of competition test. Three whereabout failure in 12 months will result in a
doping positive. Earlier it was 18 months.
Athletes are prohibited from associating with coaches, team personnel who have
been sanctioned for doping violation.
The Samples will now be stored for future testing purposes for 10 years instead of
earlier provision of 8 years.
The STATUTE of LIMITATIONS for anti-doping rule violations has increased
from 8 years to 10 years.
RAMPANT DOPING IN INDIA
The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi were a great high for India, where it scored a
century of medals and finished second behind Australia on the medal tally. Indian
athletics team did particularly well where they won 12 medals including two golds. The
most incredible memory was of Indian women's 4X400 relay team winning gold. The same
golden run was repeated later at 2010 Asian Games.
But in July 2011, earth shook for these golden girls. Six athletes of indian 4X400 relay team
tested positive. Ashwini Akkunji, Priyanka Panwar , Tiana Mary Thomas, Jauna Murmu,
Sini Jose and Mandeep Kaur tested positive for anabolic steroids. All of them claimed

innocence claiming the source were ginseng tablets, a permitted substance, which the
coach Yuri Ogorodnik who was sacked after the controversy errupted - purchased from China
because the official supplements at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala were
finished. Unfortunately, these tablets were contaminated and according to the strict
WADA rules, the libility lies on the athlete if any banned substance is fond inside their
body. If the system was working properly, this national doping shame could have been
averted. Action should have been taken against those NIS officials who did not sourced
new supplements after the stock was over in late 2010. Don Catlin, founder of UCLA
Olympic Analytical Laboratory told Wall Street Journal in 2012 that steriods found in
Indian athletes are old-time doping agents. You dont see them in the U.S. Anymore. If
the athletes would have been educated about doping issues, they would have cared more
about the label and the authentic brand of supplements.
Indian weightlifting team has been infamous for being banned twice by the world
governing body because of continuous flow of dopers in indian side. Just days before the
2010 CWG games commenced, four Indian wrestling team probables were dropped from
the team after they tested positive for the stimulant Methylhexaneamine. In 2011, National
anti-doping agency tested 51 kabbadi players for the world cup team selection, 19 out of
them tested positive. It has been noticed multiple times that Indian athletes were not able
to give their best at the international events. Indian sports Legend Milkha Singh famously
said that Indian athletes dope in domestic events and when they go to international
events, due to the fear of being tested, they compete clean and perform poorly.
Doping has historically been rampant in nations which are either isolated and want to
show the world their strength or which are developing or poor. Countries like East
Germany till 1990, Russia, North Korea fit the first scenario and countries like India, Kenya
and other african nations where the awarness about doping is extremely poor and the
incentive of few wins or medals can make an athlete's life.
I remember last month seating in Indira Gandhi Velodrome in Delhi, a 16 year old cyclist
confiding in me about one of his team-mates, who is ever more younger, injecting doping
substances with the help of team coach before a race and winning a medal in recently
concluded national school games in Ranchi. Doped winners are rewarded and clean
loosers are left to sulk. Rahul Bhatnagar, director of the National Anti-Doping Agency in
2012 told Wall Street Journal that there is horrific amount of doping in Indian athletes. He
claimed nearly 15% of the 60 athletes tested at the national school games - in which
children ages 12 to 18 compete- returned positive results for banned substances. The
incentive is huge, a win at these games might provide you admission at a prestigious
college. At the senior level, win or medals might provide you government jobs. We need
all these things to encourge sports but we must ensure all our youngsters are clean and
play in a level playing field.
In the list of banned athletes published in Jan 2015 by the IAAF, Russia which is a global
giant in athletics - tops the list with 68 athletes banned and India which rarely sees its

athletes in finals on world level - is second with 36. Even after such ridiculously high
number of doping violations in Indian athletics, IAAF is constrained by finances and has
only two Indian athletes Tintu Luka and Arpinder Singh - under its Registered Testing
Pool (RTP) system where athletes have to submit their whereabouts information for
doping test purposes.
Clearly the image of India about the doping issues has improved in last few years but
there is a long way to go and the efforts of Indian sports administration are still lacking,
there is huge requirement of educating our athletes and coaches about doping issues.