Last week was far from ideal for Indian sports, as two outrageous revelations left the country red-faced. First, delegates of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), who were in New Delhi for a conference, were told that India topped the world in manufacturing and using performance-enhancing drugs. The other involved basic sporting infrastructure. Athletics Federation of India (AFI) spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla, a vice-president at World Athletics, declared 90 percent of India’s synthetic tracks to be sub-standard. To rub salt into the gaping wound, on Monday, the Athletics Integrity Unit of World Athletics moved AFI to the highest-risk category on doping. For a country aggressively bidding to host international competitions including the 2036 Olympics, this definitely reflects poorly on all stakeholders—the sports ministry, the national sports federations and the Indian Olympic Association.
WADA president Witold Bańka did not mince words when he told the Global Anti-Doping Intelligence and Investigations Network conference in New Delhi, which was attended by delegates from dozens of countries along with investigators from Interpol and Europol, that India’s rising doping violations were a huge concern, especially for a country bidding to host major events. This was, undeniably, one of the lowest points for Indian sports. However, there is some light at the end of this dreary tunnel. WADA wants to work closely with the Central Bureau of Investigation to break the supply chain. Named Operation Upstream, the initiative would also keep a strict watch on coaches and doctors to curb doping. Possession and abetting are not criminalised under the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022. But the meeting at least forced the sports ministry to rethink its policies. Provisions that were there in an earlier draft anti-doping policy may get another look-in.
It is time for India to take decisive steps to lead the world in cracking down on doping. The country needs to increase the number of testing facilities and include all top athletes in its registered testing pool. Over the past few years, the National Anti-Doping Agency has managed to catch some top athletes at it—but that vigil must be unrelenting. Nothing less than the integrity of Indian sports is at stake.