'So stupid': Neeraj Chopra's coach slams Shivpal Singh over doping ban

German bio-mechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz expressed strong anger over Indian javelin thrower Shivpal Singh's second doping offense during an interview with PTI on Wednesday in New Delhi, calling the Olympian's conduct "stupid" despite his proud sporting family background and representation of India.

The expert, who guided Neeraj Chopra to Olympic gold in Tokyo and silver in Paris, criticized Shivpal for not trusting the natural training process.

Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Shivpal Singh, the 29-year-old Olympian from Tokyo, tested positive for banned substances in an out-of-competition test earlier this year, potentially facing an eight-year ban.

"Disappointed? I don't know. But I'm really pissed off. So stupid," Bartonietz told PTI, expressing his frustration with the athlete's actions.

"It shows that you don't trust in this process. All those who are doping don't trust that they can reach the top by normal nature of training," he added.

Quiz: Who's that IPL player?

Bartonietz particularly criticized Shivpal's actions given his family background in javelin throwing, with his father, two uncles, and younger brother all being javelin throwers.

"It makes me so angry that they are promoting javelin throw everywhere and coming from a family of javelin throwers and then doing these things," Bartonietz stated, adding, "This is like cheating. And carrying the Indian flag proudly, saying Jai Hind, by cheating. I have no word for this. The good thing about the Shivpal story is that, he got caught. So, the system is working."

Bartonietz, currently working as a consultant at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), is conducting throwing sessions at the IIS campus in Hisar during a five-day workshop ending Thursday.

He explained his previous working relationship with Shivpal, mentioning his role as an assistant to then-head coach Uwe Hohn in managing a group of 17 athletes.



"When I came to India, I was like assistant coach to Uwe Hohn because we had 17 athletes and he could not handle it. There was Neeraj, Annu (Rani) and Shivpal, they were at the top and he was travelling around them. At the same time, no one was coaching them. It was my job to come and to coach them. So Shivpal was with Uwe, but sometimes we worked together," he recounted.

Bartonietz described how his focus shifted to Neeraj Chopra after the athlete's surgery, while Uwe took responsibility for Shivpal and others.

"After Neeraj's surgery, I started to work with Neeraj and coach Uwe was then fully responsible for Shivpal, Annu and the others. Even if you're not a personal coach directly for him...You trusted actually, and you think he trusts you. It means (doping), he didn't trust you anyway."

The German expert also mentioned disciplinary issues with Shivpal during their time working together.

"So, even when he (Shivpal) did not come for training four times after he had an evening where he was no more able to train the next day."

Bartonietz concluded by expressing concern about athletes' mentality regarding doping, sharing an anecdote about a Kazakh high jumper.

"I had a Kazakh high jumper come to me in Germany and said how can you expect me to be dope free when all the others do it? This is a wrong mindset that these young people have," he stated.
Get IPL 2025 match schedules, squads, points table, and live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.