Doping woes haunt India

The country shows highest positivity rate among major nations in WADA's 2024 Testing Report

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

There seems no end in sight to India's doping woes with the country throwing up the highest number of violators among nations which conducted 5,000 or more tests in the World Anti-Doping Agency's Testing Figures Report for 2024.

As per the WADA report, India conducted 7113 tests (6576 urine samples and 537 blood samples) last year, which threw up 260 adverse analytical findings, accounting for a positivity rate of 3.6 per cent, the highest among all major countries.

India's poor doping record would be among the major concerns when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) evaluates its bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games in near future.

"...this position may appear concerning at both national and international levels, it is essential to underscore that the figures are a direct outcome of India's intensified anti-doping efforts, marked by expanded testing and stronger detection mechanisms rather than a surge in doping prevalence," stated a note from the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) as it sought to explain the continued high rate of positivity. In the 2023 testing figures, India's positivity rate stood at 3.8 per cent after 213 adverse results from 5606 tests.