People exploiting children with drugs must be jailed, says Anju Bobby George on school meet malpractice

Olympian Anju Bobby George has called for hefty fines on schools that resort to unethical practices at the Kerala State School Games. Speaking to Manorama, the Senior Vice President of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and Athletes Commission chairperson emphasised that stern measures were imperative if Kerala’s sporting landscape was to turn a corner.

There are allegations that schools field overage athletes and recruit competitors from other states just to get ahead in the State School Games. Shouldn't this trend be curbed?
We have been witnessing these practices at the State School Games for the past few years. We treat the school games on par with the Olympics, and this is the direct fallout of that obsession. Primarily, there are three glaring issues. The first is doping, which ruins children’s lives permanently. The other two are bringing in ringers from outside the state and fielding overage athletes. All of these are completely unacceptable and must be stamped out with an iron fist.

How can we put an end to these practices?
Schools caught cheating must face crippling financial penalties. Not just a token ₹1 or 2 lakh, there should be provisions to slap fines of ₹5 to ₹10 lakh. Errant coaches must face outright bans. There should even be a legal framework to jail coaches who administer performance-enhancing drugs to minors. On top of that, anti-doping testing by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) must be made mandatory at the State School Games. I was utterly appalled when I came across the news about a coach in Palakkad administering performance-enhancing drugs to young athletes. Even as a veteran athlete, hearing the names of the substances involved left me deeply shaken. By giving such drugs to children, especially young girls, these coaches are effectively ruining their lives.

Wouldn’t introducing anti-doping tests at school meets be an expensive affair?
If we genuinely want to revive the sports sector, such interventions are non-negotiable. Dedicated funds must be allocated for this purpose. Furthermore, inspections shouldn't just happen during the meet; surprise checks must be carried out year-round across schools and sports academies. At the AFI, we conduct surprise raids on athletes' accommodations and even inspect their bags. Similar random checks must be enforced at the school level.

Age is currently verified using Aadhaar cards at school meets. Is that sufficient to prevent overage athletes from competing?
Forging an Aadhaar card isn't difficult for unscrupulous elements. The AFI has introduced a Unique Identification Card (UID) system, which extends to junior athletes as well. Adopting the AFI UID at school meets would resolve this issue once and for all. The AFI issues these IDs only after a rigorous, multi-layered verification of documents, leaving no room for fraud.

Kerala has been steadily losing its edge in sports over the past few years. Promising talents from school meets rarely make a mark later on. What is going wrong?
When foul play and shortcuts triumph at sports meets, genuine, natural talent is pushed to the margins. Discouraged, they eventually walk away from the sport altogether. That is precisely what is happening in Kerala today. Our priority must be to scout, protect, and nurture authentic talent.