It takes some effort to dislodge Mahendra Singh Dhoni and company from the top of the sports pages of the dailies or from prime time shows on news TV channels. Over the past week, eight track and field athletes, some of whom did the nation proud last year with superb showing in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, managed that by testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. Read more »
Only a few months ago, the whole of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium roared in unison as the Indian women’s relay team brought home the the Commonwealth Games gold and made its wat into the hearts of the Indian fans. It was the kind of cheer that is reserved for a handful of cricketers in this country. And we believed Indian sport had come of age.
There is nothing wrong with that, really. But now, much of India is groaning in disappointment, shock and even anger that three of these are among the eight athletes who tested positive for banned substances. Sadly, there is a mad rush to point fingers in all directions but not where it really matters – the system as a whole that seems to encourage winning by hook or by crook.
Cricket administrators are doing what they are known to do best – drag their feet – instead of giving Pakistan fast bowler Mohammed Asif the two year ban for testing positive for banned substance, Nandrolone, during the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) last year.
It is most disappointing that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has not told Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to impose a ban on Asif for testing positive for the banned substance. At this point of time, only the IPL has banned Asif for a year from playing matches held under its banner.
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