How Indian government would combat doping, age fraud among athletes
What's the story
In a major policy shift, the Indian Sports Ministry has stopped giving cash prizes to junior athletes who win medals at international events.
The move is part of a larger plan to tackle age fraud and doping among young athletes, according to The Indian Express.
Earlier, a Junior World Championship gold medalist would get around ₹13 lakh while an athlete finishing atop the Asian or Commonwealth Games (CWG) would get ₹5 lakh.
Policy goals
New policy aims to maintain athletes' competitive spirit
The revised policy seeks to maintain the competitive spirit among young athletes.
"We noticed that only India follows a model where junior championships are given over-importance. As a result, we have noticed that athletes work so hard at this level that by the time they reach the elite stage, they are either burnt out or have lost the hunger," an official told The Indian Express.
Senior revisions
Senior athletes' awards policy also revised
Furthermore, the policy regarding awards for senior athletes has also been altered. The CWG and South Asian Games have been excluded from the list of award events.
Chess players who achieve International Master (IM) or Grandmaster (GM) titles will no longer be incentivized under this new policy.
However, athletes who win competitions like the All-England Badminton Championships or the Candidates Chess competition will be given cash prizes equal to World Championship winners due to their high level of competition.
Reward system
New reward system for Olympic and World Championship medals
After shooter Manu Bhaker's double bronze medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Sports Ministry has decided to honor athletes and coaches in terms of "each medal won" at the Olympics and World Championships.
Not just that, the training academy or Akhara of the medal-winning athlete will also be considered for awards under the new system.
Fraud connection
Cash incentives linked to age fraud and doping
The National Anti-Doping Agency's report found that minors made up more than 10% of dope offenders in India since 2022.
A ministry official hinted that cash awards could be the reason athletes turn to unfair means.
"Most of them come from humble backgrounds, so it is a case of high risk, high reward for them," the official said.
This highlights the uphill battle the Sports Ministry has in promoting fair competition among athletes.