Indian athletes are number 1 in the world in terms of doping.Image Credit source: Getty Images
The Commonwealth Games 2026 are scheduled to begin in Glasgow, Scotland at the end of July. After a few days, the Asian Games will start in Japan. The Commonwealth Games is to be organized in Gujarat in 2030, while India is bidding to host the 2036 Olympics. But amidst the desire to make name famous in these big events, India’s image is getting tarnished. The reason for this is doping, in which India has achieved the first position in the world. According to a report, 162 athletes of India are facing ban in doping related cases.
This shameful revelation has been revealed in the latest report of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), an independent organization formed by World Athletics to keep an eye on cleanliness, transparency and honesty in sports. In this report of AIU, it has been said that India has overtaken Kenya and achieved the first position in doping cases at the global level. This report has exposed the web of doping in the country and the serious shortcomings of the system made to stop it.
According to AIU report, 162 athletes from India have been banned in different cases. Apart from the use of banned substances, this list also includes players who were banned due to violations like evidence tampering, trying to avoid testing and wherever clause. Let us tell you that under the Anti-Doping Act, there is a provision for uniform and strict punishment for all types of violations. After India, Kenya is at second place, whose 148 athletes are banned, while Russia (60) is at third place.
In this report, AIU has said that due to continuously increasing doping cases, World Athletics (WA) has put India in Category-A of “Extremely High Risk” countries. That means the Indian Athletics Federation has been removed from category ‘B’ and now placed in ‘A’. This is a big blow for Indian athletics. AIU President David Howman has criticized the poor state of Indian anti-doping, saying that the quality of India’s domestic anti-doping program is no match for the threat of doping present in the country.
