NEW DELHI, India: Top Indian sports officials blamed India’s poor performance in recent International events on government policies and the alleged use of drugs by Indian athletes.

The officials were reacting to recently published but unconfirmed reports that Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had banned Indian National teams from competing in international meetings apparently because of India’s embarrassing showing at the Asian Games in October.

“We were informed verbally a few days ago that a blanket ban on Indian teams for foreign competitions was ordered by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s secretariat”, Indian Olympic Committee (IOA) Chief Vidya Charan Shukla told Reuters.

He described Indian government’s sports policies as illogical and said he wondered why the restrictions apparently applied to athletes from all disciplines.

India fielded one of the largest contingents at the Asian Games in Seoul but won only five gold ‘medals, three of them to women’s track star PT. Usha who helped a relay team win the fourth.

The lack luster performance embarrassed Indians and led to widespread criticism of government sports policies, A senior sports official, who did not want to be named, said selections for national teams were often made on the basis of hand timings and some athletes took drugs banned by international sports bodies to boost performances at the trials.

“OF course, our male throwers take anabolic steroids and one person threw the putt 19 meters at the trials and then struggled to teach 17 metres at Seoul”, the official said.

The official said India could be embarrassed at an important international meeting if it did not check the growing use of drugs among the sportsmen and women,

‘One Indian wrestler medalist ‘was disqualified at the Seoul Games for failing the drug test

“The IOA should immediately make appropriate arrangements for dope and femininity tests recent IOA report said.

“Today the wide variation in the results achieved during trials in India and the actual performance in international competitions leads one to the suspicion of dope use of the local variety” the report added.

Shukla said performance could also be raised by recruiting competent foreign coaches, providing world class equipment to athletes and encouraging talented teen agents to take up sports.

Article extracted from this publication >> December 26, 1986