6 months ago
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India has recorded the highest fig of doping offenders globally for the 3rd consecutive year, according to the latest World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) report. According to the WADA’s 2024 report, India recorded 260 affirmative doping cases from 7,113 samples— a 3.6% positivity rate as shown successful beneath charts. This fig is much than treble of immoderate different nation’s numbers, arsenic nary different state exceeded a 1.75% positivity complaint successful 2024.
Norway documented the second-highest proportionality of affirmative cases astatine 1.75%, followed by the U.S. astatine 1.15%. In presumption of implicit figures, France registered the adjacent highest measurement of violations successful 2024 with 91 cases, followed intimately by Italy with 85. Russia and the U.S. reported 76 cases each, portion Germany and China recorded 54 and 43 cases, respectively.
Crucially, these nations recorded less affirmative results successful some implicit and percent presumption than India, contempt maintaining overmuch much rigorous investigating regimes. China, for example, conducted implicit 24,000 tests successful 2024, much than triple India’s volume, yet reported less than one-fifth of the violations.
The findings person travel astatine a clip erstwhile India is positioning itself arsenic a credible planetary sporting host. The state is preparing to big the 2030 Commonwealth Games, seen arsenic a stepping chromatic towards its larger ambition of hosting the 2036 Olympics.
Sport-wise information from India shows that athletics recorded the astir affirmative results successful implicit terms. Of the 260 affirmative cases successful 2024, arsenic galore arsenic 76 came from athletics, followed by weightlifting (43) and wrestling (29). Boxing and powerlifting recorded 17 cases each, portion kabaddi accounted for 10 cases.
These figures bespeak a signifier that has held implicit respective years, with endurance and strength-based sports dominating the database of violations. In July, under-23 wrestling champion and Paris Olympics quarter-finalist Reetika Hooda tested affirmative for banned substances and was provisionally suspended, drafting attraction to doping risks adjacent among elite athletes.
At the grass-roots level, enforcement itself appears to beryllium a deterrent. During India’s University Games earlier this month, determination were reports of respective athletes skipping way and tract events aft anti-doping officials arrived astatine venues, successful immoderate cases leaving lone a azygous rival to participate.
India’s National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has defended its record, arguing that higher numbers bespeak improved detection alternatively than rising cause use. In a connection issued connected Wednesday, the bureau said India had “significantly strengthened” its anti-doping model successful caller years.
However, planetary comparisons suggest that India’s occupation is not simply 1 of investigating volume. Several countries with comparable oregon higher investigating numbers proceed to study acold little positivity rates.
The WADA study comes months aft the International Olympic Committee (IOC) expressed interest implicit the wide usage of performance-enhancing drugs successful India and urged authorities to “set their location successful order”. In response, the Indian Olympic Association constituted a caller anti-doping sheet successful August.
The authorities has besides moved to tighten the ineligible framework. Parliament precocious passed the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, incorporating changes sought by WADA to bring India’s anti-doping authorities successful enactment with planetary standards. The Bill prohibits doping successful sports, and provides a model for testing, enforcement, and adjudication of violations.
Note: Adverse Analytical Findings (AAF) is simply a laboratory study identifying the beingness of a Prohibited Substance oregon its metabolites oregon markers (including elevated quantities of endogenous substances) oregon grounds of the usage of a Prohibited Method, successful enactment with WADA standards.
The information for the charts were sourced from the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) Report from 2022, 2023 and 2024
devyanshi.b@thehindu.co.in
