New Delhi: Sports Minister Ajay Maken on Tuesday, once again strongly campaigned for implementing the proposed Sports Bill at the earliest, so that the 'menace like age-fraud and doping could be dealt with.'

Addressing the concerns of budding basketball players who are forced to play against those who fudge age, Maken said he was aware  of the "age-fraud" issues at schools and colleges.

The Minister, however, assured that once the Sports Bill, which covers issues like sexual harassment of the athletes, strict action against age-fraud and doping, is passed, these concerns would become a thing of the past.

"Once the sports bill comes into practice, this age-fraud issue would be a thing of the past as we would assure that age fraud detections will be done by the officials at all schools and colleges," said Maken, at the sidelines of a conference on "sports as a full time career in India" here.

The former NBA star Kenny Natt, who has been Indian basketball team's chief coach for seven months, also insisted that it was extremely important to focus on youth and not on the seniors if the country wants to establish itself as a good basketball nation.

"The focus should really be on the youth and not on the seniors. It is a must to divert all the attention to under-18 age group, so that by the time they start playing at the senior level they are equipped with everything to play the sport at the highest stage," said Natt.

Natt, who on Monday had dropped in at the SNI Delhi-NCR inter-college basketball tournament, to interact with the young players, said India has the potential to become a great sporting nation.

"Youth is so eager to learn. The enthusiasm is amazing. If the youngsters and the coaches are provided with right opportunities, basketball could become huge in this country."

The basketball players, who were present during the function on Tuesday, besides raising the issue of age-fraud, also took up some other matters with the sports minister, like their struggle to take up basketball as full-fledged career in this cricket dominated and rising cases of doping in schools.

"The government is doing its bit to promote sports other than cricket, both financially or by providing infrastructural facilities but even the federations would have to take concrete steps and try to emulate what cricket board has done," said Maken.

About doping cases in schools, Maken applauded NADA. "It is sad that school children are caught doping but we must look it from the angle that NADA is so proactive now. There might have been doping cases in schools in the past as well but it was gone unnoticed. So it is appreciable, that NADA is making efforts."

As many as 11 children (boxing, wrestling and weightlifting) tested positive for steroids and diuretics during the 57th National School Games and Maken said that the students needed to be educated about the banned substances.

"It is possible that the students who are caught doping might have taken the banned substances unknowingly, so there is a need to educate them. And for that, the games in which there are more cases of doping, NADA must identify those sports," he pointed out.

Asked if any action would be taken against the offenders, Maken said that it was the prerogative of the NADA and WADA.

"Action has to be taken as per the laid down norms of the WADA and NADA. And only as per the norms, the action will be taken. The very fact that NADA is so proactive at the school level, I think these things will come under check."