Doping a bigger crime than match-fixing: Uma Bharati

Shaken by disclosures of the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs by several athletes, India's sports minister Uma Bharati described doping as a "bigger crime" than match-fixing "From my perspective, doping is an evil and it is a bigger crime than even match-fixing. It is a sin and amounts to pure cheating," Bharati told The Indian Express newspaper.

"I would welcome an Indian team returning empty-handed from an international meet rather than maligned for doping," she said.

Her ministry, she said, would take action against athletes if sports federations recommended it and that promised coaches and officials too would not be let off.

"I will not spare anyone, I repeat anyone," she said.

Last year Indian cricket was rattled after allegations of collusion between top players and bookies to "fix" matches. While former captain Mohammad Azharuddin was barred for life from the sport, Ajay Jadeja was suspended for five years.

Bharati has of late been in the eye of several storms, beginning with the charge that a weightlifter who had tested positive for doping had been cleared to participate in the coming Afro-Asian Games in Delhi.

The minister has also been drawing flak over the alleged politicisation of the Arjuna awards, India's top sporting honour. After sprinter Milkha Singh refused to accept the lifetime achievement award, several winners of this year's award have rejected the honour.

Bharati defended the process of selecting winners of the Arjuna awards, saying, "The procedure was absolutely fair."

The minister admitted, however, that she and the selection committee were under intense pressure.

"The selection was not based on any individual wisdom. My committee agreed on the names and I went by them. I fully supported their views," she said.

Bharati has also been in a spot over arrangements for the long delayed Afro-Asian Games, which open in Delhi on November 3. She is reported to have been waging a running battle, especially over funds, with the Indian Olympic Association .

With infrastructure revamp projects at the major stadiums in the capital running on overdrive to meet the September 30 deadline, the sporting fraternity has raised fears that quality might be compromised.

Bharati said if things went wrong, the buck would stop with her. "As chairman of the organising committee, I am responsible for everything that goes wrong," she said when asked who should be held responsible.

"Internally, I will take action against those found guilty but overall I am accountable for all the lapses," she said.

About the government's decision not to allow the cricket team to participate in a Test tournament in Pakistan, Bharati said: "Our stand is very clear. We have no objection to India playing Pakistan or vice-versa. It was only the question of venue (Lahore)."

India drew flak for dropping out of the Asian Test Championship at the eleventh hour. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are taking part in the tournament.

"These are decisions not taken by the sports ministry," Bharati, however, said. "Neither do we recommend nor oppose any cricketing links with Pakistan as reported by several newspapers. It's purely an external affairs ministry decision."

-Indo-Asian News Service