Nobbs seeks NADA’s help in educating hockey players
V Narayan Swamy, TNN
BANGALORE: A dollop of wisdom from the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) will do the hockey players a world of good, feels chief coach Michael Jack Nobbs.
The Australian felt that with the focus on doping being intense these days, this was the probably the right time for NADA to organise lectures on drug abuse and distribute information kits to players.
“With the media focusing on the drugs problem, now is the opportune time. Traditionally, hockey has not had a problem in this area but we need to be proactive,” Nobbs told TOI at the Sports Authority of India, South Centre, on Friday.
“We want the anti-doping agency (NADA) to have lectures on drugs for the athletes and distribute information kits so that the players have first-hand knowledge. We have around 90 athletes in the camp and it is a great opportunity to get more information to them so that they can disseminate that to coaches and players they know.”
Nobbs felt it was important for the hockey players to know and understand the gravity of the problem and opined that they too should be subjected to random tests. “The players should also realise that it is their responsibility eventually as to what they put in their mouths,” he said.
Nobbs suggestion was received positively by NADA director general Rahul Bhatnagar who said he would be happy to help. “We will organise lecture sessions in Bangalore and distribute literature on drugs and their abuse,” Bhatnagar told TOI. NADA’s website already has the list of banned drugs with their product / brand names listed alongside.