AICS chief expresses anguish at high number of dope cases

All India Council of Sports (AICS) Chairman Vijay Kumar Malhotra today expressed anguish at the "tarnishing of the image of the country" due to high number of dope cases and asked the NADA to be pro-active to root out the menace.
India was recently ranked third behind Russia and Italy in a doping violation report published by World Anti-Doping Agency. In fact, India scored a hat-trick as it had also ranked third in the reports of previous two years also.
"The report regarding India being placed third in the world in doping violation was discussed in the detail in the fifth meeting of AICS under the chairmanship of Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra," the AICS said in a statement.

"Prof. Malhotra expressed his anguish over the fact that the image of India is being tarnished due to rampant dope cases and felt that NADA needs to be more pro-active and make two prong approach so as to educate the young sportspersons to make them aware of the ill effects of doping and at the same time take punitive action against people indulging in doping," it added.
Malhotra also suggested that safety measures must be put in place to ensure that the food supplements being supplied to sportspersons were safe and duly certified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSI).

Former sportspersons Bhaichung Bhutia, Kunjarani Devi, Limba Ram and Member of Parliament Gajendra Singh Shekhawat strongly advocated making dope test compulsory at the level of School Games, state competitions and state championships and suggested stringent penal action.

Malhotra stressed that a strong movement against doping, to be undertaken jointly by central government, state governments, Indian Olympic Association, National Sports Federations, coaches, sportspersons and various agencies was the need of the hour.
Sports lawyer Vidushpat Singhania said accreditation of all food supplements by the FSSI was needed so that the blame for doping cannot be shifted to the food supplements.
Secretary Sports and Sports Authority of India Director General Injeti Srinivas said that "provisions of various Acts including Indian Panel Code are being explored to bring doping as punishable crime since FSSI is already taking note of nutraceuticals and other health food under its ambit".

Malhotra said he would speak to the FSSI for laboratory tests and accreditation of all food supplements so that "SAI allows only those food supplements in its centres/camps which are tested and certified by FSSI".