NADA screens junior athletes

"Earlier, NADA used to screen the juniors not any more. They say they are now trying to teach the young athletes on the evils of taking these drugs. That is what they want to promote and not screening," says AFI Secretary C.K. Valson.

National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) team arrived on Saturday to screen the athletes in the ongoing national junior athletics championship at the Nehru Stadium.

On request from the national body (AFI), the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) team arrived on Saturday afternoon to screen the athletes in the ongoing national junior athletics championship at the Nehru Stadium here.

NADA's eye has been on the seniors and the juniors, of late, have been allowed to go scot free. But the AFI Secretary C.K. Valson says that it has clearly told NADA that the junior meet is the most important.

“Earlier, NADA used to screen the juniors not any more. They say they are now trying to teach the young athletes on the evils of taking these drugs. That is what they want to promote and not screening,” says Valson.

But after the AFI Secretary pointed out that a junior athlete (Tejaswin) from Delhi had shattered the senior national record in high jump, NADA thought otherwise and reached Coimbatore for some screening in the last two days.

The sample of Tejaswin was collected on Saturday by NADA. Messages and lectures are not enough, it's good to nip it in the bud one feels.