India tops global doping violations for third straight year
World Anti-Doping Agency report shows Indian athletes recorded 260 positive cases in 2024, raising scrutiny as country eyes major sporting events
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — India recorded the highest number of doping violations worldwide in 2024, according to newly released data from the World Anti-Doping Agency, marking the third consecutive year the country has topped global charts for anti-doping rule breaches.
The WADA report, published late Tuesday, shows that Indian athletes were linked to 260 adverse analytical findings last year — the largest total reported by any country. The figures place India at the top of the global list among nations conducting large-scale testing, with a positivity rate of 3.6 percent.
The findings come at a sensitive moment for Indian sport, as the country prepares to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and continues to pursue a bid for the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Concerns over doping have already been flagged at the international level, including during discussions between Indian officials and the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne earlier this year.
According to WADA’s data, India’s National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) conducted 7,113 tests in 2024, including more than 6,500 urine samples and over 500 blood samples. Of those, 253 urine samples and seven blood samples returned positive results for banned substances, spanning both in-competition and out-of-competition testing.
Indian anti-doping authorities have argued that the high number of violations reflects intensified testing rather than a worsening doping culture. NADA officials have pointed out that the agency significantly expanded its testing program compared with previous years, noting that 213 positive cases were recorded from 5,606 samples in 2023.
However, comparative data from other major sporting nations highlights the scale of India’s problem. France recorded 91 anti-doping rule violations from nearly 11,800 tests, while Russia logged 76 cases from more than 10,500 samples. China reported just 43 violations despite conducting over 24,000 tests, and the United States recorded a positivity rate of 1.1 percent from fewer than 6,600 tests.
Sports governance experts say the figures underscore persistent structural challenges in India’s anti-doping ecosystem, including gaps in athlete education, enforcement, and support systems. They warn that unless the issue is addressed decisively, India’s ambitions to host major global sporting events could face continued international scrutiny.
While Indian authorities maintain that stronger testing demonstrates commitment to clean sport, WADA’s latest report suggests that reducing violations — not just increasing detection — will be critical to restoring confidence in India’s sporting credibility.
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