Rebecca Byerly took a look at doping in India:

• Since 2009 nearly 500 Indians have tested positive for banned substances – more than any other country.
• This is in part due to the coaches. They dope junior athletes while they’re young and impressionable for better results.
• India’s culture of respect for elders and authority figures such as coaches exacerbates the problems by making young athletes more likely to take substances provided to them.
• The coaches themselves often come from members of the former Soviet Union where doping is rampant. Russia had the second largest number of athletes suspended for doping since 2009.
• India also has high tariffs on legal supplements such as protein shakes which can cost up to $150 a month. Steroids on the other hand cost as little as $5.
• There is also a lot of pressure on athletes from poor rural states to perform. Success means a government job which provides financial security for the family.

Read more about the problem, the role that India’s pharmaceuticals industry plays, the poor state of sporting facilities, and what Indian athletes have to say about it over here.

Source: The New York Times

Via: Quartz