The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), an independent body of World Athletics, has placed India in its highest-risk Category A for doping, citing an “extremely high” risk. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) was elevated this week, joining countries like Russia, Belarus, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ukraine in the top tier of doping concern.
Category A status means Indian athletes must now comply with more stringent anti-doping requirements. AIU Chair David Howman stated, “The doping situation in India has been high-risk for a long time and, unfortunately, the quality of the domestic anti-doping programme is simply not proportionate to the doping risk.” He added that while the AFI has advocated for anti-doping reforms within India, not enough has changed, and the AIU will work with the AFI to achieve reforms to safeguard the sport’s integrity.
According to AIU data, India ranked in the top two for the most anti-doping violations in athletics between 2022 and 2025. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief Witold Banka, who was in New Delhi last week, said India is the biggest producer of performance-enhancing drugs, but noted that this would not hamper its chances of hosting prestigious global sporting events. This comes as India is set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, seen as a stepping stone for its ambition to stage the 2036 Olympics.
AFI spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla, also a World Athletics vice president, told Reuters that the federation is working with the AIU, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and the National Anti-Doping Agency to address the issue. He said, “AFI has got a strong plan, and we are all for criminalising doping in this country. There’s nothing wrong in more scrutiny. More athletes are getting caught in India because more tests are being conducted.” Sumariwalla emphasized that stopping “crooks and criminals” is a police matter, while their role is to create policy, with government support.
In a related development, an Indian delegation visiting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne last year was told to curb the doping menace to boost its Olympic bid. The latest doping case in Indian athletics involves Asian Games gold medallist archer Prathamesh Jawkar, who has been banned for two years for a whereabouts failure and will miss the Asian Games in Japan this September-October.
Source: www.aljazeera.com