India Tops WADA’s Global Doping List for Third Consecutive Year

For the third consecutive year India has topped the global doping offenders list released by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). With 260 positive doping cases in 2024. India is the only country to cross the triple digit mark, raising serious concerns about the integrity of Indian sports. This is not just a numbers problem. It is a systemic failure that threatens India’s credibility as a sporting nation and could weaken its ambitious bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games.

WADA Report: Key Numbers and Findings

• According to the WADA report published on its official website Indian athletes were involved in 260 doping cases in 2024, the highest number recorded by any country worldwide.
• These cases were identified as Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs) meaning banned substances were detected in samples.
• India’s positivity rate stood at 3.6 per cent, which was the highest among all countries that conducted more than 5,000 doping tests during the year.
• This confirms India’s continued position at the top of global doping charts for the third year in a row.

Global Comparison: How India Stands Out

When compared with other major sporting nations, India’s doping situation appears far more severe. Countries with larger or similar testing programmes reported much lower positivity rates.

• France recorded 91 violations from 11,744 tests
• Russia reported 76 cases from 10,514 tests
• China detected only 43 positives from over 24,000 samples
• The United States had a positivity rate of just 1.1 per cent despite conducting fewer tests than India

These comparisons suggest that the problem in India is systemic, not merely a result of increased testing.

The Scale of the Problem

India has consistently appeared at the top of global doping lists, which is alarming.

Comparison with other countries,

• China conducts three times more tests than India but has a positivity rate of only 0.2%.
• India’s positivity rate is 3.6%, about 18 times higher than China.
• This indicates that the issue is not just about testing, but widespread misuse of performance-enhancing drugs.

Why Doping Is Widespread in India

Socio-economic pressures: Sports are seen as a way to escape poverty; medals can lead to secure government jobs.

“Medal-at-all-costs” mindset:

• Coaches may encourage shortcuts.
• Athletes are tempted to use banned substances.
• Awareness of long-term health risks is low.

Spread beyond elite sport: Doping incidents have been reported at junior and collegiate levels e.g., Khelo India University Games.

Traditional Strongholds Under the Scanner

Most doping cases come from India’s medal winning sports,

• Track and field
• Weightlifting
• Wrestling

These sports are key to India’s Olympic ambitions.

Continued doping in these disciplines risks individual careers and the national sporting ecosystem.

Impact on India’s Olympic Ambitions

• India’s doping record has raised concerns internationally.
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has warned India to clean up sports before bidding for the 2036 Olympics.
• Hosting the Olympics requires trust and transparency, which is compromised if doping is widespread.

Are Current Measures Working?

• Testing alone is not enough.
• National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) has expanded testing and awareness programmes.
• Positive sign: In 2025, the positivity rate dropped to 1.5% (110 offenders out of 7,068 tests).
• However, long-term and consistent efforts are required to sustain this improvement.

Key Takeaways

• India recorded 260 doping cases in 2024 the highest globally
• The positivity rate was 3.6 per cent, highest among countries with large testing programmes
• NADA conducted 7,113 tests in 2024
• The global anti-doping report is published by WADA
• India’s doping rate is much higher than France, Russia, China, and the US
• The issue may impact India’s bids for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and 2036 Olympics

Question

For how many consecutive years has India topped the global doping offenders list as per WADA?

A. 1 year
B. 2 years
C. 3 years
D. 4 years