Olympic Gold medallist Neeraj Chopra urged Indian athletes to refrain from doping, expressing concern over the negative reputation India has earned in the sports world due to drug use.
According to recent data, doping has become increasingly prevalent in Indian sports.
A 2022 report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) revealed that India had the highest number of doping violations globally.
The report indicated that out of 3,865 samples tested between January and December 2022, 125 samples from India returned Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs), indicating positive doping results.
India was the only country with more than 100 positive tests. Additionally, another WADA report highlighted that India ranked as the second-worst country for doping cases involving minors.
Speaking to Indian media, Chopra advised athletes to adopt hard work and dedication for a successful career while emphasizing the need to change the mindset surrounding doping.
“Nowadays, doping is a big problem in India among our athletes,” he admitted.
He stressed that once doping entered the mindset, career progress in the long run became difficult. Such athletes were unable to compete at high levels, he added.
“They think that only doping can improve their performance, but that is not the truth. It is their hard work, self-belief and proper guidance from the coach that will take them forward.
“Eat well, rest well and work hard. Do everything properly."
The star javelin thrower warned about the consequences of doping, saying, “To tell you the truth, once they dope, they are tested, caught and receive bans ranging from two to four years. There is no future in that.”
Chopra stressed the importance of changing athletes’ attitudes if they aspire to compete at elite levels.
He also called on coaches to actively discourage doping and guide their athletes toward clean sports practices.
“I urge coaches to ensure their athletes stay away from doping and to stop promoting the idea that it can help them perform better,” he said. “If we address this issue, the overall standard of sports in our country will improve.”
The 27-year-old also highlighted the need for athletes to be cautious about their diet and intake.
“What often happens is that talented young athletes reach a promising level and then fall into the trap of doping. They also need to be mindful of what they eat and drink,” he advised.
It is pertinent to mention that the young athlete won the Silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and was unable to defend his title as he was the Gold medallist in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem won the Gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a world record throw of 92.97 meters.
Sohail Imran Sohail Imran is a senior reporter for Geo News.
