Doping menace: on Indian sport and dope positive cases

One of the biggest impediments for India in achieving the status of a global sports power is strongly rooted in its dubious distinction of being the table topper in dope positive cases for the third consecutive year. As the country is set to host the 2029 World Police and Fire Games and the 2030 Centenary Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, the low-on-performance and high-on-doping trend may prove detrimental to its aspirations of bidding for the 2036 Olympic Games. As in the 2024 figures by the global watchdog, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), India logged 260 adverse analytical findings (AAFs) out of 7,113 tests, at 3.6%. France (91) and Italy (85) were second and third in terms of numbers. India, far behind China (24,214), was seventh in terms of overall testing figures. Nevertheless, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) looks at the brighter side of the picture, claiming that the higher positivity rate is due to bigger testing numbers. In the post-COVID-19 era, the AAFs and total number of samples were 125 and 3,865 (at 3.2%), respectively, in 2022, and 213 and 5,606 (at 3.8%), respectively, in 2023.

NADA takes pride in stating that up to December 16 this year, it has carried out 7,068 tests with fewer number of positive cases (110), at 1.5%. It has adopted several measures, including awareness drives and encouraging the use of ‘Know Your Medicine’ app, to curb doping. There are many instances of NADA officials pursuing athletes and them trying to escape to avoid testing. Such cat-and-mouse stories point a finger at the sorry state of affairs and a deeper malaise within the sports ecosystem that includes support staff, who have been suspended for abetting doping. Even as the Sports Ministry is addressing the concern, it acknowledges that government jobs through sports quota are a big lure for the athletes to take shortcuts. It cannot be denied that lucrative cash awards for big international medals may also be prompting elite athletes to take banned performance-enhancing drugs, despite the risks of adverse effects on one’s health, over the years. India has passed the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, to add muscle to its anti-doping efforts. Whether doping is triggered by need or greed or ignorance, the country, under pressure from the International Olympic Committee over the issue, should make NADA a truly independent entity and provide more funds to put up a stronger fight against this menace, which has kept pace with modern scientific developments.