logo
India's doping woes: WADA numbers shows high positivity rate for India

India's doping woes: WADA numbers shows high positivity rate for India

India's doping woes came to the fore once again with the country topping the World Anti-Doping Agency's 2023 testing figures among countries which analysed 5,000 or more samples even as the sports ministry promised an "aggressive clean-up" and an amended Anti-Doping Act after addressing objections from the WADA.
India's positivity rate for banned substances stood at 3.8 per cent -- 214 Adverse Analytical Findings (AAF) from 5606 samples. The sample size was significantly higher from 2022 when 3865 tests returned an AAF rate of 3.2 per cent.
Of the 5606 tests, 2748 were conducted in-competition. India's positivity rate for banned substances was significantly higher than China (28,197 samples, 0.2 per cent AAF rate), USA (6798 samples, 1.0 per cent AAF rate), France (11,368 samples, 0.9 per cent AAF rate), Germany (15,153 samples, 0.4 per cent AAF rate) and Russia (10,395 samples, 1.0 per cent AAF rate).
As compared to India's 214, France, Russia, USA, China and Germany recorded 105, 99, 66, 60 and 57 AAFs respectively.
"Any amount of doping is unacceptable but we have to acknowledge that our testing is vigorous and with every year the sample size is increasing. With our aggressive awareness campaigns, we intend to bring the numbers down in the next two years," a sports ministry source said when approached for a comment on the latest report.
Globally, 204,809 tests were conducted in 2023, of which 1820 came positive for banned drugs with India's share of 214 accounting for over 11 per cent of the total number of offenders, the highest for any country.
In all, Delhi's National Dope testing Laboratory (NDTL) tested 6,077 samples, including those from neighbouring countries. It's Adverse Analytical Findings (AAF) rate of 3.63 per cent makes up the highest percentage of positive dope results among the 30 WADA-accredited facilities across the world.
Athletics leads the number of India's positive cases with 61 AAFs from 1223 samples -- 567 in-competition and 539 out-of-competition urine samples as well as 117 blood samples. One AAF was reported from among the blood samples.
Weightlifting accounted for 38 AAFs from 451 samples, while powerlifting and wrestling contributed 28 and 10 AAFs respectively.
The numbers have expectedly raised an alarm and an admission that the country is yet to implement its Anti-Doping Act, which was passed in 2022, due to objections from WADA on some unspecified provisions.
"The NADA bill will be brought back to the Parliament after a restructuring. We have addressed the objections raised by WADA, which required changes to certain provisions," a sports ministry source said.
The National Anti-Doping Act, 2022 empowers the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) with legal authority and investigative powers similar to law enforcement bodies.
NADA even conducted a workshop recently involving officers of CBI and INTERPOL to understand doping investigation mechanisms, including interrogation of suspected dope offenders and banned substances' suppliers.
"The ministry is going to tackle this menace aggressively. There will be compulsory monthly doping awareness programmes and nutritional supplements will be tested at specialised labs in Gandhinagar and Delhi to ensure that they do not contain prohibited substances," a ministry source said.
"Most of the time, doping by a young athlete is either unintentional due to lack of knowledge or in desperation to get that one national performance that would help in getting a government job. But we will drill it into their psyche that they have more to lose if they don't comply with anti-doping rules," he added.
A NADA source said that India has demonstratively upped its numbers as far as testing is concerned and in relative terms, there has been a marginal decline in positivity rate.
"We had nearly the same positivity rate when we tested close to 4000 samples and now that rate has more or less remained the same with 1500 more tests this year. So, in relative terms there is a decline," he said.
"But of course, even this number is unacceptable given our ambition to be a sporting powerhouse," he added.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Anti-doping amendment bill tabled in Lok Sabha
Anti-doping amendment bill tabled in Lok Sabha

Hans India

time12 hours ago

  • Hans India

Anti-doping amendment bill tabled in Lok Sabha

New Delhi: Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday tabled the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, providing greater 'operational independence' to the country's Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) as prescribed by WADA. he contentious National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports has been retained but it would no longer have the NADA appeals panel under its jurisdiction as was the case in the original act passed in 2022. That act could not be implemented as WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) objected to 'government interference' in the NADA's functioning. 'The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, seeks to enhance institutional and operational independence of the National Anti-Doping Appeal Panel and the National Anti-Doping Agency to ensure autonomy in their decisions pertaining to operations, investigations and enforcement activities,' stated the bill's objectives.

Anti-doping bill 2025 passed: Independent panels, no athlete fines, Wada demands met
Anti-doping bill 2025 passed: Independent panels, no athlete fines, Wada demands met

Time of India

time15 hours ago

  • Time of India

Anti-doping bill 2025 passed: Independent panels, no athlete fines, Wada demands met

Representational image New Delhi: An independent Appeals panel, the non-imposition of financial sanctions on athletes caught doping and ensuring the operational independence of the nation's anti-doping watchdog are some of the key highlights of the 'National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill 2025', which was introduced in Parliament by sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday. The bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha after the govt addressed objections raised by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), which included reducing the extensive powers granted to the proposed 'National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports' under the legislation. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The original bill, introduced by then sports minister Anurag Thakur and passed by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in 2022, faced significant scrutiny from Wada for sustained govt interference and undermining the independence of the National Anti-Doping Agency (Nada). The govt's continued control over Nada and the Appeals panel through the formation of the anti-doping Board led Wada to threaten a ban on India by disaffiliating the nation as its member and derecognising the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) in Delhi. Following intense discussions between the sports ministry under Mandaviya and Wada officials, an amended version of the bill was introduced without substantial govt interference. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like These Are The Most Beautiful Women In The World Undo Prior to the bill's introduction, supervision and control over Nada were exercised by a governing body chaired by the sports minister. The Lausanne-based Wada, while revising its anti-doping Code, ensured that National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) remain free from any govt overreach, citing conflicts of interest when NADOs are controlled by their respective union govt. Poll Do you support the removal of financial sanctions on athletes caught doping? Yes, it's a fair decision. No, there should be consequences. Once the legislation becomes an Act, the anti-doping Board will no longer oversee the Appeals panel as was the case in the original bill passed in Aug 2022. Additionally, a clause in the previous bill that allowed the imposition of financial sanctions, including proportionate recovery of costs from athletes, was removed after Wada objected to it. 'The amended bill seeks to enhance institutional and operational independence of the Appeals panel and Nada to ensure autonomy in their decisions pertaining to operations, investigations and enforcement activities,' stated the bill's objectives. The amended version includes: 'The Board may call for such information from the Disciplinary panel and the Appeals Panel on its operations and issue such directions, as may be necessary, for the effective and timely discharge of their functions with respect to Anti-Doping Rule Violations under this Act. Provided that such directions shall be limited to procedural efficiency of the Disciplinary Panel and the Appeals Panel and shall not, in any case, interfere with their decision making process. ' The amended bill comes as India topped Wada's 2023 testing figures last month, analysing 5,000 or more samples. Salient Features of the bill * To promote and strengthen the anti-doping measures in sports and to provide a statutory framework for the operation of the Nada, NDTL and for creation of the National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports. * Enhance institutional and operational independence of the Appeals Panel and Nada to ensure autonomy in their decisions pertaining to operations, investigations and enforcement activities. * Further align the provisions of the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022 with international best practices and the Wada Code. * Provide that such of the provisions of the Wada Code as are set out in the Schedule shall have the force of law in India Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!

Sinner reappoints fitness coach Ferrara
Sinner reappoints fitness coach Ferrara

United News of India

timea day ago

  • United News of India

Sinner reappoints fitness coach Ferrara

Rome, July 23 (UNI) World number one Jannik Sinner has re-appointed fitness coach Umberto Ferrara, with whom he parted ways following the investigation into his positive tests for a banned substance. Ferrara and physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi left the Italian's team last August, five months after Sinner returned two positive tests for clostebol. "Umberto has played an important role in Jannik's development to date, and his return reflects a renewed focus on continuity and performance at the highest level," a statement from Sinner's team read. "The decision has been made in alignment with Jannik's management team as part of ongoing preparations for upcoming tournaments, including the Cincinnati Open and US Open." Sinner was cleared by an independent tribunal of any wrongdoing last August but the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) appealed against the panel's ruling that he "bore no fault or negligence". The 23-year-old accepted a three-month ban in February after reaching a settlement with Wada. Wada said it accepted that Sinner did not intend to cheat but bore responsibility for "the entourage's negligence". Sinner said the substance clostebol, which can increase muscle mass, entered his system when Naldi applied an over-the-counter spray to treat a cut on his hand, according to a BBC news. Ferrara said he provided the spray to Naldi for personal use and warned him not to use it on Sinner. After the departures of Ferrara and Naldi, Sinner appointed fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio in September. However, he parted ways with them shortly before this year's Wimbledon. Sinner made his return at the Italian Open in May. He lost the French Open final to Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set thriller in June, before beating him in the Wimbledon final this month to win his fourth Grand Slam. UNI BM

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store