December 22, 2025 07:21 AM IST
First published on: Dec 22, 2025 at 06:45 AM IST
For the third consecutive year, India has topped the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) global list of offenders. With 260 positive cases in 2024, India is the only nation to hit triple digits, surpassing countries with far more rigorous testing regimes like China, Germany and France. This is not just a statistical anomaly; it is a systemic failure that threatens to impact India’s ambitious bid for the 2036 Olympics.
The root of the menace lies in a toxic mix — unscrupulous coaches looking for quick success, athletes taking shortcuts and lacunae in anti-doping education. In India, sports are often viewed as a ladder to escape poverty. A national or international medal can secure a coveted government job, often in the police or armed forces. This medal-at-all-costs mentality plays into the hands of those supplying performance-enhancing substances. Reports of athletes fleeing the field of play at the Khelo India University Games earlier this month to avoid testing is a damning indictment but increasingly a commonplace spectacle at junior and state meets. It suggests that doping is not limited to the elite; it has reached into the junior and collegiate levels. As the incidents rise, the integrity of the nation’s sporting foundation is being called into question. This is disquieting, and more so given that track and field, weightlifting and wrestling — India’s traditional strongholds — account for the bulk of the doping cases.
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While the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) argues that higher numbers are a result of “intensified testing”, the maths tells a different story. India’s positivity rate (3.6 per cent) is nearly 18 times that of China (0.2 per cent), which conducts three times as many tests. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has already flagged this disparity, telling Indian delegates to get their house in order before pitching for the 2036 Games. A country that cannot police its own athletes will struggle to convince the world it can host a clean global event. Testing alone isn’t a remedy. India needs to proactively educate athletes about not just the sporting implications, but also the health consequences of doping. NADA has increased its awareness programmes and the impact of the twin steps — rigorous testing and wider outreach — is visible. The preliminary data for 2025 has shown a drop to a 1.5 per cent positivity rate (110 offenders out of 7,068 tests). It offers a glimmer of hope. However, sustained efforts will be needed for this to be a genuine turning point rather than a temporary dip.
