Hard work

An Indian Olympian wants greater awareness about perils of using performance enhancing drugs as he reckons its use is rampant, especially among the younger athletes.

"Without realising the danger that drugs cause to their life even junior athletes are resorting to drugs for quick results and that is a dangerous trend," India's 800-m gold medallist at the Asian Games in 1982, Charles Borromeo, told Gulf News .

Borromeo, who is a recipient of India's highest sporting award Arjuna Award, was in Muscat to train Indian School Muscat students for a specially designed 'Fitness' programme.

"There's no option to hard work," the unassuming 48-year-old track star turned coach believes.

Talking about drug use in India, he said: "The junior athletes lack knowledge about drugs but sometimes use it as a stepping stone for success," he said, cautioning that such efforts can only bring short term results and long term problems.

"We have talent in India and such talented young athletes should work hard and avoid falling in the trap of drug usage," he advises and adds that the onus is on national as well as international federations to spread the true picture of use of drugs.

Currently, he added, efforts are being made by the associations in creating awareness but there was a need to step such efforts to stop athletes, especially juniors, falling for drug use to achieve results.

"Those who use or even think about using drugs must know the consequences of such drugs once they stop competitive sport," he said.

Borromeo, who also ran in 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, may have had a short international career but he has continued to involve in developing sports at the national level in India, especially among school children.

He is optimistic about the future of Indian athletes. "We have good talent and Indian Athletic Federation is on the right track," he enthused. He hopes that the Indian athletes would look beyond winning Asian and Commonwealth Games medals and achieve something at the Olympic Games.

A soft-spoken Borromeo is a different personality when on the field. At the ISM he was full of energy to show full commitment for the fitness regime.

Expert guidance

"I have been involved with the CBSE schools in India also and visit each school to impart three-day Fitness programme," he said, adding that he was impressed with the enthusiasm shown by pupils in Muscat.

"The Indian Diaspora in the Gulf region has potential to throw a champion athlete for India in future, all they need is expert guidance," reckons the 48-year-old athlete.

A record breaking performance at the Inter-University Meet in 1978 provided Borromeo a ticket to the international arena. But today, he says that school children are getting noticed and picked to run for the country.

"The exposure level is good," he said, adding that he would like young sportsmen and women to make use of internet to gather information on nutrition, diet, techniques etc for an in depth knowledge about the sport they pursue.

Today's generation is better off as far as facilities, knowledge and exposures are concerned, they should grab these with two hands, shun drugs, work hard to produce results in the form of medals for India at the Olympic Games, he said.

Facts