India's struggle with doping in sports is indeed alarming. According to the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) 2022 report, India topped the list of doping offenders, with 127 athletes testing positive for banned substances out of 4,064 samples collected. This is a significant concern, as India's doping violations outnumber those of major sporting nations like Russia, the United States, Italy, and France. Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra has also raised concerns about doping among Indian athletes.
In a recent interview, Neeraj Chopra admitted doping has become a big problem among athletes in India. He emphasizes the importance of dedication, proper guidance, and hard work, rather than relying on performance-enhancing drugs. He believes that it's essential to address this issue to elevate the country's sports performance.
Speaking to Lallantop, the star Javelin thrower said, “Nowadays doping is a big problem in India among our athletes. I would like to tell them that once doping is in the mind, it gets hard in the future. They are unable to play at that level. They think that only doping can get them performance, but that is not the truth. It is their hard work and self-belief, proper guidance from the coach will take you forward. Eat well, rest well and work hard. Do everything properly. ”
“Eat good, rest well and work hard. Do everything properly. To be honest, once they dope, the dope test happens, and they get caught. They receive a ban of 2-4 years. There is no life in that. So if you want to play at a good level, the mindset of our athletes needs to be changed. I request the coaches to not tell them that doping will help them and keep them far away from it” he added.
