The final day of the Delhi State Athletics Meet saw athletes devising ways to evade dope testers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
An Indian Express report revealed that after news about National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) officials’ arrival at the stadium spread, the number of participants fell by half. This came a day after a purported video clip showed used syringes spread across the washroom of the stadium.
A senior coach told The Indian Express that out of the eight finalists in the track events, only three to four showed up on Tuesday. He added that in a junior steeplechase event, a girl continued to run even after crossing the finishing line in an attempt to evade a dope test. “A doping control officer had to chase her to get her sample,” the coach added.
100m final without finalists
Lalit Kumar was the only athlete who showed up for the men’s 100-metres final.The other sprinters said they were suffering from “cramps” or “muscle strain”.
Kumar called the no-show by his fellow athletes hurtful. “I was really looking forward to running against the best athletes, but nobody turned up. Everyone was scared of getting tested. As an athlete, I feel very hurt and let down,” he told The Indian Express. This was the first time that Kumar was competing in his first senior-level event.
An official said this was the first time they saw a 100-metres event with a single participant. They added that right after the NADA officials dropped in, the number of participants dropped to 50%.
In the Under-20 boys’ 100-metres final, only three of the finalists turned up, while the Under-16 boys’ hammer throw saw just one participant.
Winners skip medal ceremony
Several winners skipped the medal ceremony fearing they would be asked to submit their samples.
Delhi State Athletics Association President Sunny Joshua confirmed that some athletes did not collect their medals, adding theyr were concerned about the dropouts. ““Our job is to educate the athletes and coaches, but we can’t constantly monitor what they are doing during practice or behind our backs. Doping in athletics is a huge menace and we are firmly against it,” he added.