As the country continues to feature near the bottom of most global assessments of democracy, freedom and development, another report has added to India’s embarrassment. This time, a global report released by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has exposed the grim state of India’s sports sector. For the third consecutive year, India has retained the top position worldwide in cases of doping, an issue that undermines the integrity and spirit of sporting competition. According to the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), the country’s apex body for preventing the use of performance-enhancing drugs, 7,113 urine and blood samples were tested last year, of which 257 were found to contain banned substances. Athletes competing in events such as athletics, weightlifting and wrestling accounted for most of the violations. In 2024, as many as 76 doping cases were detected in athletics alone, while 43 weightlifters and 29 wrestlers were also found to have used prohibited substances. Athletes across the world engage in such unfair practices. However, even in countries lower than India in the rankings, where testing is far more extensive, the number of detected cases is less than half of India’s tally. In France, which ranks second, 91 cases were found from 11,744 samples tested last year. Italy followed with 85 cases from 9,304 tests, while Russia detected 76 cases after conducting 10,514 tests. China, a dominant force in international sporting events, carried out as many as 24,214 tests last year, but only 43 athletes were found to have violated anti-doping rules.
This unhealthy and unethical tendency has existed since ancient times, dating back to pre-historic sporting traditions. Even during the ancient Olympic Games in Greece and chariot races in Rome, athletes reportedly tried to outperform rivals by consuming certain concoctions and following specific diets. Today, however, Indian athletes are largely using anabolic-androgenic steroids, which have severe effects on the body as a whole and can cause serious damage to vital organs such as the liver, brain, and heart. There has long been a general tendency among athletes to resort to drugs to overcome injuries and competitive pressure. However, what is more alarming now is that even among beginners, the belief that victory can be achieved through doping is becoming widespread. At the Paris Olympics, Indian wrestler Reetika Hooda was disqualified for doping after stepping onto the mat for the quarterfinal of the under-23 wrestling event. The problem was evident even more recently at the ‘Khelo India’ National University Games held in Rajasthan, where drug use appeared rampant. In some track and field events, the situation deteriorated to such an extent that when testers arrived, athletes suspected of doping vanished one after another, leaving only a single competitor in certain events.
India is currently preparing to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and is also aspiring to stage the Olympic Games in 2036. During preliminary discussions on this at the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland, officials reportedly told the Indian delegation—including Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi and Indian Olympic Association president P. T. Usha—that before seeking to host such major sporting events, the country must first make serious efforts to end the use of performance-enhancing drugs among its athletes. Despite repeatedly earning this dubious top rank, it is deeply disappointing that the government and sports authorities still fail to recognise doping as a grave challenge confronting Indian sport. This neglect disheartens everyone who genuinely loves sport and longs to see the tricolour fly high on the global sporting stage. It is particularly distressing that mass doping incidents occurred at the Khelo India Games even after the formulation of a National Anti-Doping Bill and the establishment of a national panel to detect doping. Moreover, testing mechanisms catch only those athletes who participate in competitions, while the number of people in gymnasiums and health clubs who aspire to build muscles through banned substances is many times higher. At a time when the focus of those in power appears to be on renaming stadiums and sports awards, globetrotting to international events under the guise of supporting athletes, and even turning sporting arenas into platforms for sectarian and communal agendas, the country will have to sweat hard to overcome this serious crisis in sport.