“Doping is a crime. We are trying hard, but are not (being) able to stop (it). NADA (National Anti-Doping Agency) is taking a lot of steps, the federation is trying, the government is trying for a non-bailable case (law). But still people are doing that (doping),” the 46-year-old Anju said on the new weekly show – ‘TOI Game Changers’.
Catch the first episode of our new show – TOI Gamechangers – with Anju Bobby George
In January this year, India’s elite sprinter Dutee Chand failed a dope test and was provisionally suspended after some banned anabolic substances were found in her sample in an out-of-competition test. More recently, in July, runners Archana Suseendran and Anjali Devi were also suspended after their urine samples were found to contain banned substances.
Anju Bobby George – India’s long-jump queen
“(For) Any substance (found) in our body, we are liable,” said Anju. “But the thing is that there are some other chances also. Somebody can put something in your food, mischief can happen. But in most of the cases, they (athletes) are taking themselves,” the senior vice-president of the Athletics Federation of India further said on TOI Gamechangers.
Anju, who also runs a foundation and mentors long-jump protege Shaili Singh with help from her husband and coach Robert, said the lure of “short-term gains” is putting kids on the wrong path.
“For some short gains, they are doing this. How much can we teach the kids? If they want to do it, they will do it. But while we (maybe) can’t completely stop it, in my opinion, (we should) find the source from where it is coming, stop it from there.
“Now (in the internet age), anybody can order (anything) from anywhere. That is a big challenge.”
