I had since stopped boxing but Narendra kept going. He competed in a couple of more national championships before getting a diploma from the National Institute of Sports. Today, he trains boxers and works with the boxing team at Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University (CSJMU).
What struck me most during that visit was not the nostalgia. It was the urgency in that training hall. Most of Narendra’s students come from lower middle-class families. For them sport is not a passion – it is a way out of uncertainty. A medal could mean a government job, financial stability and social security.
Context to the story
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) recently moved the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) into the highest-risk Category A. This is because India has been among the top-two countries globally in anti-doping rule violations between 2022 and 2025.
On one hand, the government’s flagship Khelo India programme is training more than 23,000 athletes across the country. The aim is to nurture these athletes at the grassroots level. On the other hand, the large number of doping cases in domestic events remains a major concern. Recently, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that 1,342 athletes have been removed from the programme over the last three years due to poor performance and doping violations.
Doping, an issue of morality and ethics
At the junior level, it highlights the issue of vulnerability among young athletes. Many young athletes operate in ecosystems without scientific guidance and medical oversight. They also lack awareness about supplements. The difference between a supplement and a banned substance is not always clear to them.
For a teenager from a modest background, a national medal is not just a sporting milestone; it can be a life-altering event. A job in the Railways, military and para-military forces, police or public sector units often depends on achievements at national or higher events. When the stakes are so high, shortcuts begin to look like survival strategies.
Coaches, who also act as physicians and dieticians to these athletes, often end up in this ecosystem. While many, like Narendra, are committed to clean sports, the current domestic circuit is marred with standards of training and accountability. Though improving, anti-doping mechanisms in India are far from meeting international standards.
Major overhaul needed to realise big dreams
Programmes like Khelo India were designed to scout for young athletes. They have succeeded in many ways – producing athletes like double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker. More athletes, cut-throat competitions and lack of monitoring and support systems create a fertile ground for doping.
Doping is a menace and a threat to India’s ambitions. India’s sporting ambitions are no longer modest and with the country set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and actively bidding for the 2036 Olympics, the global spotlight is only going to intensify.
The fight against doping at the grassroots level cannot rely solely on punitive measures. It requires a shift, one that combines strict enforcement with sustained education. Young athletes need to understand not the rules but the risks – to their careers, their health and their credibility. Coaches and support staff also must be held accountable.
Things may be tough now, but the outlook is bright
Back in that Kanpur training hall, the energy was raw but hopeful. I could see hunger in those faces — not just for victory but for a better life. That hunger deserves to be nurtured not exploited by misinformation or desperation.
If India truly wants to become a sporting superpower, it must confront a harsh truth: the battle is not just for medals but for integrity. Without that, every podium finish will carry a question.