Lalit Kumar, however, was unaware that he would be the only racer on the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium track in New Delhi.
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At the Delhi State Championships 2023, although Lalit Kumar clinched the top spot in the men’s 100m race, he left without a gold medal or any official certificate. It was according to the rules that indicate in races with less than three competitors, no awards get distributed. In the case of Lalit, he was the sole participant. Despite eight athletes being qualified, an unexpected twist occurred. Owing to the rumors of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) sending dope testers for urine samples, every athlete, except Lalit, didn’t participate in the race. A spectator commented on a video of this solo run, “Kya gazab ka race hai,” which circulated on social media in the evening. This footage highlighted the extensive doping issue in Indian sports.
Lalit Kumar, however, was unaware that he would be the only racer on the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium track in New Delhi. As a result, Lalit had set his expectations low. The previous year’s gold medal timing was 10.92 seconds, a mark which he felt he wouldn’t be able to touch with his personal best of 11.18 seconds. Recalling a phone call with his father, Lalit shared, “Papa said koi na. Pehli baar khel raha hai. I Don’t care about your place. You just do your best.” However, upon arriving at the stadium and seeing the NADA officers, he soon found out that he would be the only one competing.
Lalit ran the race alone and recorded one of his career’s slowest times – 11.6 seconds. On being asked about the strange incident, he responded to Sportstar, saying, “It’s strange to run by yourself. You don’t get any pressure. You don’t even know how fast you are going.” He had mixed sentiments. He found it funny as he got an assured victory but felt disheartened by the reason for the other runners not showing up. He showed his disappointment and stated, “These guys are my seniors. They are supposed to be role models and this is what they are doing,” he pointed out. But when asked if he considered abstaining, Lalit responded, “Why wouldn’t I compete? I’ve got nothing to hide.”
Lalit believes doping is not just a Delhi problem and urged the NADA to also monitor state championships in places like Haryana, Punjab, and UP. While many have pressured him to resort to steroids, even in his school days, he has always maintained his stand against it, with his school coach Fareed Alam and father being strong anti-doping advocates. Alam once advised, “No matter what I had to say no.” Even when he shifted to New Delhi, coach Amarjeet Singh had strictly told everyone to avoid taking steroids, or else they would be thrown out.
Lalit’s father always dreamt of him winning at the National Championships. Throughout his career, Lalit has aimed to prove that success is achievable without doping. To date, he has accomplished some credible achievements, such as winning a silver in the long jump at the CBSE National Championships in 2018, advancing to the semi-finals of the U20 Federation Cup, and claiming the gold medal at the U20 Delhi State Championships in 100m.
Lalit is currently pursuing his history degree from Delhi University. He aspires to be a part of the defense forces as he eyes the sports quota. In addition, he is gearing up to participate in the upcoming Para Asian Games in Hangzhou. His roommate, Hari Om, a visually challenged sprinter representing India in the 100m race, will have Lalit by his side as his guide during the competition.
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1. Over 900 samples collected by NADA’s aggressive approach to Doping control
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3. Doping: Sports Minister Anurag Thakur & NADA launch an app
