How rise in doping cases can impact India’s performance in global events | Other Sports News

India’s growing doping problem has come under fresh scrutiny, with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) flagging the steady rise in violations as a serious concern.

WADA president Witold Banka pointed to the easy availability of performance-enhancing drugs and steroids in India, while highlighting the scale of the challenge in controlling the issue.

With India topping the global doping charts for three consecutive years, the trend has raised concerns over the effectiveness of its anti-doping system and the overall integrity of its sporting ecosystem, especially with the country now holding the hosting rights of the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

India leads the unwanted list

India, for the past three years, i.e., 2022, 2023 and 2024, has been the worst performer in doping tests as it has topped the chart with the most doping cases on all three occasions.

According to WADA’s data, India recorded 125 positive doping cases in 2022, while the number rose to 213 in 2023 and to 260 in 2024. India not only has the highest number of doping cases, it is also the only country in the top five whose numbers are increasing.

Other countries in the top five, such as France, the United States, Russia and Italy, have all recorded a drop in doping cases in the past three years, unlike India.

List of countries with most doping cases (2022-2024)

Athletics leading the chart

In terms of sports-wise division of doping cases in India (in 2024), track and field athletes are leading the chart with 76 cases, while weightlifters are in second spot with 43 positive cases, followed by wrestlers with 29 cases.

Powerlifters and boxers are joint fourth with 17 cases each, while 10 kabaddi players were also found guilty of doping.

Doping prominent at national level

Despite the significant rise in doping cases in India, it is rare that any Olympic-level sportsperson has been found guilty of doping.

Dutee Chand (athletics), Aishwarya Babu (athletics), MV Jilna (athletics), Manju Bala (athletics), DP Manu (athletics), Karthik Kumar (athletics), Parvej Khan (athletics) and Nongmaithem Ratanbala Devi (football) are some of the few international-level athletes who tested positive for doping from 2022 to 2024.

Which means most of the cases of doping are coming at the national level, signifying the issue persists at the grassroots level.

Will doping cases affect India in upcoming events?

India is set to take part in two big multi-nation events this year in the form of the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games. Despite the significant rise in the number of doping cases, India is unlikely to be overly concerned as most of its medal hopefuls have passed the tests.

However, among the banned athletes, Dutee Chand, who won the silver medal in the 2018 Asian Games, Karthik Kumar, who won silver in the 2022 Asian Games, and DP Manu, who finished fifth in the javelin throw event of the last Commonwealth Games, could have found their way to the podium, which means India could miss out on a few medals due to the doping hit.

Can India’s situation be compared with Russia?

Before India, a country that was associated as the worst among doping offenders was Russia, as in 2019 it was handed a four-year ban from bidding and participating in any Olympic-level events after it was found that the government was encouraging doping among players.

Although Russian athletes were later allowed to compete under a neutral flag after partial relief from the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the episode significantly dented the country’s sporting credibility.

With WADA now formally urging India to address its rising doping numbers, continued non-compliance or weak enforcement could weaken its case in future Olympic hosting, if it is subjected to any form of participation ban.

WADA calls for urgent systemic action

WADA president Witold Banka highlighted the scale of the challenge, pointing to the easy availability of performance-enhancing drugs and steroids in India, which complicates enforcement efforts.

He confirmed that discussions have been held with key stakeholders, including the sports ministry and the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), to strengthen coordination in identifying and dismantling doping networks.

Testing improves, but gaps remain

According to NADA Director General Anant Kumar, India has adopted a two-pronged strategy—expanding testing capacity and improving transparency to build trust among athletes.

Testing numbers have nearly doubled from around 4,000 samples in 2019 to approximately 8,000 in 2025. Despite this increase, India still lags behind major sporting nations such as China, which conducts more than 15,000 tests annually.

Banka noted that a rise in positive cases can sometimes reflect better detection and targeted enforcement. However, a decline without structural reforms could signal weak oversight rather than genuine progress.

Easy access and ecosystem failures driving violations

One of the biggest concerns flagged by WADA amid rising doping cases in India is the widespread availability of banned substances.

As one of the largest producers of pharmaceutical drugs, India faces unique regulatory challenges in controlling the distribution of performance-enhancing substances.

The issue extends beyond individual athletes. WADA’s intelligence and investigations wing has identified the role of suppliers, coaches, and support staff in facilitating doping practices, pointing to a deeper, systemic problem.

Officials have also indicated that in several cases, athletes may not be acting alone but are part of a broader ecosystem that enables or even encourages the use of banned substances.