Mumbai, Jul 7: As if the whole doping scandal that has tainted the Indian sporting scenario was not enough, badminton ace Saina Nehwal has dropped a bombshell by claiming that weightlifters and athletes have readily admitted to her that they consumed performance-enhancing substances during competitions.

She was quoted as saying, “The athletes and the weightlifters had spoken to me and they told me that they take drugs, but I really never expected this to happen."

Nehwal also felt that sportspersons should be aware of doping and become more internet-savvy to check for themselves which substances are on the banned list. She said, “It is really sad that the athletes don"t know what they take. The WADA website is very informative and has a complete list of the banned substances. A player can easily log on and see if the drugs that they are consuming are in the banned list or not."

The ace shuttler also blamed the lack of education as a major reason for the increase in doping cases. She said, “Athletes and the weightlifters, in most cases, are less educated or not educated at all. They just take what their coaches give them."

Speaking about her own steps to avoid getting embroiled in a doping scandal she said, “You must be very careful about the medicine before consuming it. I always get my medicines checked by the official doctor even if I am suffering from a minor cold or fever."

She added, "The athletes should not purchase any kind of supplements from the medical shop without any supervision. I never purchase any medicines without the doctor"s supervision."

OneIndia News