E-Paper
Dope: Dutt was in the dark
Sunil Dutt was in Athens when the doping scam that shamed the country hit the weightlifting contingent. But in their wisdom, officials in the know kept the minister out of the loop.
Do sports administrators deserve the disgrace they are getting for India's disastrous performance at the Olympics? Sample this and draw your own conclusions: Sports Minister Sunil Dutt was in Athens when the doping scam that shamed the country hit the weightlifting contingent. But in their wisdom, officials in the know kept the minister out of the loop.
Dutt and top officials of the Indian Olympic Association and various federations were in Athens from August 12 to 18 for the opening ceremony and events involving the Indian squad. On August 15, the Indian contingent came to know that Pratima Kumari had tested positive.
Sports Ministry sources said without caring to inform Dutt, officials sent Pratima back to India on a late-night flight. In fact, Dutt remained oblivious of Sanamacha Chanu failing the dope test even after he returned home on August 18.
It was only on August 20 —when TV channels began airing Pratima's interviews — that Dutt was informed about the incident during a function at a hotel.
Dutt then decided to terminate the services of the two weightlifting coaches, Pal Singh Sandhu and Leonid Taranenko of Belarus. Normally, such decisions are taken by the sports body concerned.
Dutt was also of the view that instead of sending Pratima back in a clandestine manner, the officials should have let her clarify her position before the World Anti-Doping Agency that conducted the test.
Interestingly, the summary dismissal of the two coaches seems to have put the Indian squad in a dilemma over their expenses. Since Sandhu and Taranenko are no longer part of the Indian contingent, the question of who will pick up the tab for their journey remains.
