India's Doping Crisis in Sports
India has been identified as the country with the highest number of doping cases globally for the third consecutive year, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2024 report.
Key Statistics
- Total Positive Cases: 260 Indian athletes tested positive for prohibited substances.
- Positivity Ratio: India recorded a positivity ratio of 3.6% from 7,113 urine and blood samples collected by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA).
- Comparison with Other Countries:
- China conducted 24,214 tests with 43 positives.
- Germany conducted 15,081 tests with 54 positives.
- France conducted 11,744 tests with 91 positives.
- Russia conducted 10,514 tests with 76 positives.
- Italy conducted 9,304 tests with 85 positives.
- The UK conducted 8,273 tests with 30 positives.
Trends and Concerns
- Year-on-Year Increase: In 2023, 213 Indian athletes tested positive, showing a troubling rise in doping cases.
- Specific Events: Doping concerns were highlighted at the Khelo India University Games, where some athletes reportedly fled due to the presence of anti-doping officials.
- Sports with Highest Doping Cases:
- Athletics: 76 cases
- Weightlifting: 43 cases
- Wrestling: 29 cases
NADA's Response and Efforts
- Increased Testing and Education: NADA has intensified its anti-doping efforts, increasing the number of tests from 4,004 in 2019 to 7,113 in 2024.
- Decreased Positivity Rate: The positivity rate decreased from 5.6% in 2019 to 3.6% in 2024.
- As of December 16, 2025, 7,068 tests were conducted with 110 positive cases, a positivity rate of 1.5%.
International Concerns
The WADA report follows the International Olympic Committee (IOC) raising concerns about India's doping issue during discussions for hosting the 2036 Olympics. The Indian delegation, including sports minister Harsh Sanghavi and IOA president PT Usha, was advised to address the doping problem.
