Athletics Federation of India to sanction coaches whose athletes are caught for doping

In order to curb the doping menace, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has decided to take action against coaches whose athletes commit doping violations.

The AFI, following its discussion with various stakeholders for about six months, took this important decision at its executive committee meeting on Friday.

“Coaches of the athletes who are caught for doping and are sanctioned will get a similar punishment. It is high time people were called out, named and shamed,” AFI president Adille Sumariwalla said at a virtual press conference.

“We will suspend the coaches (who have coached dope offenders), we will inform departments concerned and they will not be allowed to enter the stadiums. These people have to be removed from whatever posts they are holding.

“We had talks with various agencies regarding this. If the coaches take a share of the athletes’ cash award, then they should also get the stick.”

The AFI chief said now the athletes needed to declare their coaches’ names in dope control forms and all the coaches would have to be registered with the federation.

Sumariwalla said the Olympic-bound athletes, several of whom are training abroad, would attend a coaching camp in Poland from July 5 before moving into the Paris Games Village on July 28.

The AFI also decided to decentralise the coaching camps after the Olympics, conduct competitions at state and district levels through a similar calendar, improve the technical conduct of the meets (including taking action against officials who fail to carry out their duty properly) and digitise merit certificates with the help of Government’s Digilocker app (to stop forgery of certificates for jobs and promotions).

On AFI’s new five-year deal with official kit partner Puma, Sumariwalla said that, apart from the cash component, the company would also provide the athletes with a whole range of essential products.